Malaysia’s prime minister said on Friday that Myanmar’s junta and a major opposition group have agreed to extend a ceasefire to facilitate further aid efforts following a devastating earthquake in the conflict-ridden nation.
Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, revealed the outcome of talks he has held since Thursday with Myanmar’s junta chief and the prime minister of its shadow government in a rare outreach effort.
‘No Unnecessary Provocations’
“There will be a ceasefire and no unnecessary provocations, because otherwise the whole humanitarian exercise would fail,” Anwar told reporters in the Thai capital.
“My initial exchange with both the SAC Prime Minister and NUG has been very successful,” he added, referring to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
Myanmar’s junta announced a 20-day ceasefire on April 2, following a similar move by the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), after a massive earthquake on March 28 that killed more than 3,600 in the impoverished nation.
However, the junta has continued military operations in some areas, according to the United Nations and other groups in Myanmar, which has been riven by civil war since the ouster of an elected civilian government in 2021.
‘Humanitarian Efforts’ Main Priority
“Our priority is humanitarian efforts. They must have a ceasefire. They must ensure the safety of all the personnel helping out with the humanitarian arrangements,” Anwar added.
The 10-nation ASEAN grouping had shunned the junta brass since the coup, barring Myanmar’s ruling generals from its meetings for their failure to comply with its peace plan.
“The ASEAN position is that we should be more involved in the effort to get them to agree on the basis of the five-point consensus,” Anwar said, referring to ASEAN’s peace plan.
“I’ve already consulted ASEAN leaders that I will continue to engage.”
In the talks with the shadow NUG, which includes remnants of the administration deposed in the coup, Anwar said he had conveyed that ASEAN would continue dialogue with it and the junta, while humanitarian support would also continue.
(With inputs from Reuters)
