SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on Sunday (Mar 30) called for an immediate ceasefire in Myanmar to facilitate aid efforts after a huge earthquake hit the country.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar on Friday, and also affected Thailand. More than 1,600 people were killed in Myanmar, the junta said.
Dr Balakrishnan attended the Special Emergency Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers on Sunday following the quake. It was convened by ASEAN chair Malaysia and conducted virtually.
“He called for an immediate and effective ceasefire in Myanmar which would facilitate the efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance and longer term national reconciliation, peace and reconstruction,” said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday morning, anti-coup fighters in Myanmar declared a two-week partial ceasefire as the military began to facilitate rescue operations and other relief work.
The People’s Defence Force (PDF) will “implement a two-week pause in offensive military operations, except for defensive actions, in earthquake-affected areas”, said the shadow National Unity Government.
The government in exile said it would “collaborate with the UN and NGOs to ensure security, transportation, and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps” in areas that it controls.
Myanmar’s military has been fighting a civil war on multiple fronts since it ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in February 2021. It is opposed by both the PDFs and ethnic armed organisations, many of which have been fighting for decades.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/myanmar-earthquake-singapore-calls-ceasefire-humanitarian-aid-5033381
