Myanmar military junta ruler, Min Aung Hlaing. PHOTO/IANS NEWS
By PATRICK MAYOYO
and Agencies
On Wednesday, five days after Myanmar’s catastrophic earthquake, rescuers managed to pull a man alive from the debris, as calls for the junta to allow more aid and cease attacks on rebels grew louder.
The shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which struck on Friday, levelled buildings across Myanmar, claiming the lives of over 2,700 people and leaving thousands more homeless.
While some armed groups fighting the military have suspended hostilities to aid in recovery efforts, the country’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, has resolutely vowed to continue his “defensive activities” against what he calls “terrorists.”
International bodies, rights organisations, and foreign governments have implored all factions involved in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war to halt their fighting and focus their efforts on providing help to those affected by the quake — the largest the country has experienced in decades.
Hope for finding more survivors has been dwindling, but on Wednesday, there was a rare moment of joy when a 26-year-old hotel worker was pulled from the ruins of a collapsed hotel in Naypyidaw,
Myanmar’s capital. The rescue was carried out by a joint Myanmar-Turkish team just after midnight. The man, dazed but conscious, was retrieved from the rubble and placed on a stretcher, as shown in a video posted by the Myanmar Fire Services Department.
Min Aung Hlaing announced that the death toll had risen to 2,719, with over 4,500 injured and 441 still missing. However, with communication and infrastructure still severely damaged, the full scale of the disaster remains unclear, and the death toll is expected to increase further. Humanitarian groups have expressed concern that the ongoing conflict between the junta and various armed groups has hindered relief efforts.
Julie Bishop, the UN special envoy on Myanmar, urged all parties involved to “focus their efforts on the protection of civilians, including aid workers, and the delivery of life-saving assistance.”
In Sagaing, central Myanmar, as the call to prayer rang out on Friday, hundreds of Muslims rushed to the five mosques in the city to attend their last Friday prayers of Ramadan, just days before the Eid celebrations. At 12:51 local time (06:21 GMT), the deadly earthquake struck, causing three mosques to collapse — including the largest, Myoma Mosque — killing almost everyone inside.
Soe Nay Oo, the former Imam of Myoma mosque, now living in Mae Sot on the Thai border, felt the tremor miles away. In the following days, he learned that around 170 of his relatives, friends, and former congregation members had perished, most inside the mosques.
“I think about all the people who lost their lives, and the victims’ children — some of them are young children,” he told the BBC, visibly shaken. “I can’t hold back my tears when I talk about this.”
Soe Nay Oo was an imam in Myanmar but had been working for a human rights group in Thailand after fleeing the 2021 coup. PHOTO/BBC
Over 2,700 people have died in the quake, which hit near Sagaing and Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers continue to pull bodies from the rubble. Sagaing and Mandalay, once known for their ancient Buddhist temples, were also home to a significant Muslim population, and approximately 500 Muslims are believed to have died while praying in their mosques.
Eyewitnesses in Sagaing reported that Myoma Street, where the mosques were located, was the worst hit. Many homes on the street also collapsed, leaving hundreds homeless, some seeking shelter by the side of the road, either out of fear of aftershocks or because their homes were no longer habitable. Food supplies in the area are reported to be scarce.
In Myoma Mosque alone, more than 60 people were crushed in the collapse, with many more perishing in the Myodaw and Moekya mosques. More bodies continued to be recovered as of Tuesday. Survivors have reported seeing worshippers attempting to flee, with bodies found in areas where they had tried to escape — some even clutching others’ hands in what appeared to be desperate attempts to save each other.
Two years ago, as Cyclone Mocha threatened Myanmar’s western coast, Min Aung Hlaing appeared unconcerned, despite predictions of widespread destruction.
While millions braced for the devastating storm, the military ruler and his cabinet were in Shan State, consecrating a Buddhist temple. This display of focus on traditional rituals, aimed at warding off bad luck and misfortune, was widely criticised.
As Cyclone Mocha made landfall, with wind speeds of up to 280 km/h, Min Aung Hlaing was busy performing superstitious rituals, a behaviour that critics argue demonstrated his disregard for the imminent disaster.
His actions, coupled with his later handling of the earthquake disaster, are being seen by many as evidence of the military ruler’s recklessness and lack of concern for the well-being of the people he rules over.
It has to be noted that earthquakes like other climate change impacts like floods, mudslides, wildfires and rising sea levels among others are caused by global warming.
On Friday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake destroyed Mandalay and Sagaing, claiming more than 2,700 lives. In Myanmar’s superstitious culture, many see this catastrophe as divine retribution aimed at the military regime and Min Aung Hlaing’s eventual downfall.
Astrologers have suggested that the earthquake is a bad omen for the military ruler, especially as it occurred on a Friday under a new moon. These same astrologers, who are influential in Myanmar, predict that the earthquake signals changes in leadership, and that Min Aung Hlaing will eventually have to step down.
The military chief is known to be heavily influenced by astrology and superstitions. His regime is said to be guided by astrological predictions, which extend even to his decisions on military strategy. However, the astrologers warn that the signs suggest his reign is nearing its end, a sentiment shared by many in Myanmar’s military ranks.
Pictures sent to Soe Nay Oo show the Myoma mosque in complete ruins PHOTO/ Soe Nay Oo.
Min Aung Hlaing’s negligence, both in failing to take action in the face of prior warnings and in his unbothered attitude towards the people’s suffering, has led to widespread destruction. This inaction is being interpreted by many as a sign that nature itself is now punishing him.
An anonymous retired officer from Myanmar’s military shared his belief that the earthquake represents “retribution” for the military’s actions since the 2021 coup, which led to immense destruction and loss of life. With an increasingly disillusioned population, many now hope that the leaders responsible for this devastation will one day be held accountable — if not in this life, then the next.
As for the survivors of the earthquake, their grief is compounded by frustration over the slow and inadequate response from the authorities. One man, Ko Lin Maw, who lost his mother and two sons in the earthquake, expressed his anger that his family might still be alive had there been a more organised and effective response.
“I’m still breathing, but inside I feel dead,” he said, grieving not only for his family but for a government that failed to protect its people.
Now, all he can do is hope that one day, those responsible for the suffering will face justice. “I hope the spirits of my family find justice,” he said solemnly.
The earthquake, along with the devastation of the military regime’s neglect, marks yet another chapter in Myanmar’s tragic history, and the continued mismanagement under Min Aung Hlaing’s rule only deepens the country’s suffering.
