Rescue teams and donors heading to provide emergency assistance to earthquake victims in Mandalay were turned back at the military council’s Myaung Chaung checkpoint. The incident occurred around 3 PM on March 29, when rescue teams and humanitarian aid groups from Mon and Karen States, carrying relief supplies for earthquake-affected areas in Mandalay, were stopped at the permanent checkpoint in Myaung Chaung village, Kyaikto Township, under military council control.
According to rescue teams, military council personnel denied passage citing security reasons and ordered them to turn back. A rescue organization from Karen State revealed that while the military council is seeking international assistance, they are actively blocking domestic rescue teams from providing aid. Currently, the military council is conducting strict inspections of cargo trucks, passenger vehicles, and private cars along the Yangon-Myawaddy route, with lengthy delays at every checkpoint.
Additionally, local sources report that military council personnel at checkpoints are demanding excessive monetary payments. These restrictions and blockades by the military council are causing delays in delivering emergency assistance to earthquake victims and preventing effective implementation of rescue operations, according to those involved in relief efforts. The military council’s obstruction of humanitarian aid efforts has significantly hampered the ability of domestic organizations to provide timely assistance to those affected by the earthquake, despite the urgent need for emergency relief in the disaster-stricken areas.
