Myanmar’s military junta launched fire at a Chinese Red Cross convoy delivering earthquake aid as the leader rejected calls for a ceasefire by armed rebel groups to focus on relief and rescue efforts amid the nation’s worst earthquake in a century.
Military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun confirmed on Wednesday that “warning shots” were fired on the Chinese Red Cross convoy delivering aid to earthquake victims, saying they failed to heed the military's instructions to stop while driving in a conflict zone.
The confirmation came after the northern-based Ta’ang National Liberation Army reported on Tuesday that the military troops used machine guns to fire at a Chinese convoy at 9.21pm local time at Ummati village in Naung Cho township in Mandalay.
The convoy delivering aid was forced to retreat and the group’s members tried to protect the convoy to ensure that it continued its journey to deliver aid to those in need.
The Chinese foreign ministry said rescue teams and supplies were safe after the firing incident and hoped that "all factions and parties in Myanmar will prioritise earthquake relief efforts.
It came as Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the military-run government, said Tatmadaw, the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar, would continue to take necessary military measures as rebel groups are still preparing for future attacks.
“Some ethnic armed groups may not be actively engaging in battles right now, but they are gathering and training in preparation for attacks,” he said, during his visit to a fund-raising event in the capital Naypyidaw.
“As their actions are still considered attacks, the Tatmadaw will continue to take necessary security measures.”
A pro-democracy government in exile since the 2021 coup, along with three armed groups, declared a pause in attacks as concerns mounted over humanitarian aid reaching all the regions.
The general said his military has not conducted targeted operations on enemy camps but has responded to attacks by rebel groups, in the first likely admission to accusations of junta launching attacks during the earthquake relief operation.
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage in central Myanmar and the capital, Naypyidaw, killing 2,700 people and injuring more than 4,500, with hundreds still missing, according to the military government.
The toll is expected to rise as relief and rescue operations, with the help of international aid groups from China, India, Russia, Singapore, and Malaysia, have stepped up efforts to find survivors.
Since the military's coup in February 2021, Myanmar has been engulfed in a chaotic and deadly civil war. The junta faces fierce resistance from a mix of newly formed opposition groups and long-established ethnic armed factions. Over the past year, its grip on the country has weakened, with its control shrinking to less than 30 per cent of the territory, though it still holds the largest cities.
The National Unity Government (NUG), which represents the Aung San Suu Kyi-led civilian administration, was the first one to announce two week pause in fighting.
It was followed by the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
The groups accused the military junta of bombing the rebel-held areas hours after the earthquake struck, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and rights groups. Amnesty International said the strikes are adding “to the strain of recovery efforts and the fear and anxiety of survivors”.
United Nations special envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop said: “The earthquake has laid bare the deeper vulnerabilities facing Myanmar’s people and underscored the need for sustained international attention to the broader crisis.”
“All sides must urgently allow space for humanitarian relief and ensure that aid workers can operate in safety.”
China has maintained close relations with Myanmar despite the 2021 coup and was one of the first countries to send help to Naypyidaw following the earthquake, including $14m in emergency aid along with dispatching search and rescue teams.
In the neighbouring Thai capital, Bangkok, at least 21 people have died as dozens are still trapped under the rubble of an under-construction 33-storey skyscraper.
An investigation has been launched into the building that was being built in a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Pcl and China Railway Number 10 Thailand Co.
Samples of the two different sizes of steel bars from the collapsed site have revealed it was a substandard quality steel bars made by a factory that had been shuttered by authorities.
The bars failed tests by the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand for their mass, chemical composition and ability to withstand stress.
However, the findings about the quality of steel are separate from the probe ordered by the government to find the reason for the collapse.
