Read the RFA cover of this story in Burma.
In almost three weeks since the Myanmar army declared a cease-fire to help the earthquake, it lost more than 400 bombs in the state of Rakhine, according to an insurgent army in the besieged west.
The state is home to one of the largest and most powerful ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar, the Arakan army, or AA. He saw an escalation of conflicts in his 17 cantons since the Myanmar junta seized the power of the democratically elected government in the country in 2021.
“Instead of honoring their own declaration, Junta Forces launched 409 military attacks in the cantons of Kyaukpyu, Taugip, Kyauktaw, Sittwe and Pauktaw between April 2 and 22,” the AA, Humanitarian and Development Office said in a statement on Thursday.
The AA, which launched an offensive called Operation 1027 with two allied groups at the end of 2023, captured 14 of the 17 cantons of the State.
On Tuesday, the junta announced another extension of a week of the ceasefire, but the government of exiled national civil unit announced shortly after the junta had bombed 12 of the 14 major regions of the country in these only three weeks, killing more than 160 people and injured almost 300 more.
The civilians who lived the air strikes told Radio Free Asia that the expansion of the ceasefire was “just a program”.
In the state of Rakhine only, the forces of the junta attacked with air strikes, drones, bombings and heavy artillery, killing a civilian and injuring 28, including five children aged five to 14, said the AA in a statement, saying that civilians were the main target.
The attack also damaged and destroyed 21 houses, two stores and a religious building.
An earthquake of amplitude of 7.7 hit the country on March 28, killing more than 3,700 people and causing significant damage. Despite Junta’s claims that the cease-fire would help faster recovery, humanitarian organizations said that they are not allowed to enter the affected areas and civilians said junta troops had stolen aid.
The attacks only demonstrated that the soldiers never intended to honor their ceasefire, said Moe Htet Nay, who works in the independent research group Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica.
“We understand that soldiers use this natural disaster which our people are confronted as a political opportunity to obtain an advantage,” he said. “The army has never had good intentions to the people, but has always thought and defended their own power and the implementation of their political aspirations.”
The FRG called Junta’s spokesperson, Major-General Zaw Min Tun for commenting on the AA complaint, but he did not respond to the phone. The ceasefire is expected to end on April 30.
Translated by Kiana Duncan. Published by Tajun Kang and Mike Firn.