Myanmar’s ostracised leader Min Aung Hlaing will leave his disaster-stricken country on Thursday for a rare trip to a regional summit, state TV said, as aid groups called for restrictions to be eased to reach survivors of a devastating earthquake.
The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, jolted a region that is home to 28 million people, toppling buildings, flattening communities, and leaving many without food, water, and shelter. China’s state television said the death toll had passed 3,000, citing official figures.
The military has struggled to run Myanmar since its return to power in a 2021 coup that unseated the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The generals have been internationally isolated since the takeover, and Myanmar’s economy and basic services, including healthcare, have been reduced to tatters amid an outbreak of civil war.
The government on state-run MRTV late on Wednesday announced a 20-day unilateral ceasefire effective immediately to support post-quake rehabilitation but warned it would “respond accordingly” if rebels launched attacks.
MRTV confirmed Min Aung Hlaing would leave Myanmar to join a summit of mostly South Asian countries in Bangkok – an uncommon foreign trip for a general regarded as a pariah by many countries and the subject of Western sanctions and an International Criminal Court investigation.
The junta boss is also barred from attending summits of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN.
Still, some analysts say the earthquake and this week’s meeting, which will include leaders of neighbours Thailand, India, and Bangladesh, could boost Min Aung Hlaing’s legitimacy as he forges ahead with a much-criticised December election widely expected to perpetuate military rule.
Aid agencies on Wednesday described massive destruction and a medical crisis in central Myanmar, with hospitals overwhelmed, medicine in short supply, and risks of water-borne diseases growing.
Mohamed Riyas, Myanmar Director of the International Rescue Committee, said humanitarian needs were “staggering”.
“It may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake as communication network lines are down and transport is disrupted,” he told Reuters.
“People require urgent medical care, clean drinking water, tents, food, and other necessities. Providing life-saving health services is critical.”
Mikhael De Souza, a field coordinator in Myanmar for medical aid agency MSF, said in the second-largest city Mandalay, about 500 buildings had collapsed completely and a further 800 were partially destroyed.
“Many people are still living outside in poor conditions,” he said. “The lack of water is creating an issue in terms of immediate survival.”
