Regime requires all earthquake relief to be channelled through Naypyidaw

The regime in Naypyidaw announced on Wednesday that anyone who wishes to carry out earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar must seek approval from the local authorities, or its embassies abroad. This comes one day after regime troops fired upon a Red Cross Society of China convoy traveling overland from the China-Burma border to Mandalay, via northern Shan State, on Tuesday.

“We strongly urge all parties in Myanmar to ensure the safety of rescue personnel and materials from China and other countries, and to ensure that the rescue transport channels are unobstructed,” Guo Jiakun, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday. 

The Chinese government has reportedly provided 100 million CNY ($13.8 million USD) worth of aid to Myanmar for earthquake relief.