Responding to reports of widescale damage from a 7.7-magnitude earthquake reported in central and other parts of Myanmar, Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher Joe Freeman said:

“This earthquake could not come at a worse time for Myanmar. More than three million people remain internally displaced from armed conflict that has raged since the 2021 military coup. Over a third of the population will need humanitarian assistance this year. At the same time, the impacts of US aid cuts on humanitarian services in the country are just starting to bite.

“In a country where the military has banned many media outlets and internet access is restricted, we may not have a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time. That there appear to be more images and information coming out of Thailand than the epicentre in Myanmar is a startling reminder of the military’s crushing of press freedom since the 2021 coup.

“Central Myanmar, which is believed to be the epicentre of the earthquake, has been ravaged by military air strikes and clashes between resistance groups and the military. Myanmar’s military has a longstanding practice of denying aid to areas where groups who resist it are active. It must immediately allow unimpeded access to all humanitarian organizations and remove administrative barriers delaying needs assessments.

“All parties to the armed conflict should be prioritizing the needs of civilians whose lives have been upended in this disaster and ensuring that they have unfettered access to aid. Human rights must be at the centre of all relief efforts, and there must be no discrimination in aid provision. Amnesty International is calling particularly for the protection of those with specific needs, including children, older people, people with disabilities, and women and girls in vulnerable situations.”

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar at around 1:20pm on 28 March. It was recorded in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region, but initial reports indicate widespread damage in Myanmar’s second largest city Mandalay and the capital Naypyitaw, with homes, religious sites and cultural property among the impacted sites. Tremors were also felt across the border in Thailand in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.