The Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services issued on April 22 a statement that the Tatmadaw had extended the temporary ceasefire for a week from April 23 to 30. With empathy and understanding towards the people across the country who are suffering due to the impact of the earthquake, the Tatmadaw has announced a temporary ceasefire from April 2 to April 22 with the aim of facilitating the speedy relief and rehabilitation tasks for the people affected by the Mandalay earthquake looking forward to ensuring peace and stability.
Currently, the government is carrying out reconstruction and rehabilitation tasks in the earthquake-affected areas with might and main and the international community is sending rescue and medical teams to provide necessary assistance and supplies as well. In carrying out reconstruction and rehabilitation tasks, efforts should be made with might and main to rebuild and restore the damaged government offices, public housing and transportation and to encourage and support agriculture and livestock-based manufacturing industries. If these tasks are carried out with the collaborative strength of all ethnic people of the Union, normalcy can be restored as soon as possible, the statement said.
Therefore, looking forward to ensuring peace and stability, the State has extended the temporary ceasefire period in order to carry out the reconstruction and rehabilitation operations in the earthquake-affected areas with momentum, to further develop the interests of the State and all citizens and to achieve lasting and genuine peace, the statement said.
During the declared period of the temporary ceasefire, ethnic armed organizations and other armed groups are urged not to disrupt or attack communication routes used by the public, cause harm or destruction to the lives and property of the people, attack and disrupt security personnel and their camps, disrupt military headquarters, recruit or mobilize forces that could undermine peace, engage in preparations or territorial expansion. If such actions are carried out, the Tatmadaw will take necessary response measures to protect the public, the statement said.
