Myanmar Junta Violates Ceasefire as Civilians Endure Renewed Attacks After Earthquake

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: Lee Durant

In the wake of a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar in late March, killing at least 3,700 people, the country's ruling junta declared a temporary ceasefire. But on the ground in Karenni State, witnesses say the military has continued to unleash deadly attacks against civilians and resistance forces, repeatedly violating its own truce.

Over a 10-day period in mid-April, within rebel-controlled Karenni territory, daily junta assaults were witnessed firsthand including rocket strikes, artillery shelling, and air raids that killed and wounded both civilians and fighters.

One casualty was 45-year-old Khala, a father of a young child, who was killed by an artillery strike near his home in the village of Pekin Coco. His wife, Mala, seven months pregnant, recounted their attempt to return home after years in a displacement camp, believing the ceasefire offered a safe window.

“We were all at the front of the house. Then shells landed near us,” Mala said through tears. “He thought he was safe, but he died there.”

Later the same day, junta warplanes attacked nearby homes, killing four more civilians. "I hate them," Mala said. "They always attack people without reason."

The situation in Karenni reflects the broader reality across Myanmar. The country, already mired in a brutal civil war since the military’s 2021 coup, saw its humanitarian crisis deepen after the earthquake. The United Nations estimates an additional two million people are now in urgent need of aid.

Despite the ceasefire announcement on April 2, frontline commanders say the junta continued its operations unabated. Stefano, a 23-year-old leader in the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), described the truce as a "joke," accusing the junta of using ground assaults, drone strikes, and jet attacks to push forward during the supposed pause in fighting.

"We did not believe the military council from the beginning," Stefano said from a trench near Mobeye. "We don't believe it now, and we won't believe it in the future."

The junta has denied accusations of ceasefire violations, blaming resistance groups for ongoing clashes. However, local sources and humanitarian organizations report that government forces have continued offensive operations across rebel-held regions.

In a makeshift jungle hospital, Thi Ha Tun, a doctor treating injured civilians and fighters, dismissed the junta's statements as lies. "They only care about their own organization," he said. "They will not care about the youth, the children, the elderly, anything."

Religious sanctuaries have not been spared. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, perched on a hill in rebel-held territory, suffered structural damage during the earthquake and remains vulnerable to air attacks.

Father Philip, a local priest, voiced the fears that grip many residents: "No place is safe. When we have jet fighters flying in the sky, you never know what will come falling from above."

As the ceasefire’s official end date approaches, many civilians and fighters alike say it feels as though it never existed at all. Resistance groups vow to continue their struggle until Myanmar’s military dictatorship falls the only ceasefire they say they will ever trust.