'Weaponization of aid': Myanmar accused of blocking rescue efforts after deadly earthquake

Mere hours aft the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake deed cardinal Myanmar past Friday, the caput of the subject junta controlling the country, Min Aung Hlaing, pleaded for immoderate and each planetary assistance to beryllium sent rapidly to the isolated country. 

Hlaing claimed helium had "opened each ways for overseas aid," arsenic helium asked for countries and organizations to "come and help" with desperately needed rescue efforts aft the quake buckled roads and toppled thousands of buildings, trapping an untold fig of people. 

Nearly a week aft the earthquake, the decease toll was astatine 3,145 people, with much than 4,500 radical injured and galore much inactive stuck nether debris. The existent numbers are expected to beryllium overmuch higher. 

Hlaing's entreaty was an highly uncommon determination for the subject leader, who seized powerfulness successful a coup that deposed the democratically elected authorities of Aung San Suu Kyi successful aboriginal 2021, and promptly sealed the state disconnected from the remainder of the world. 

The powerfulness drawback was followed by bloody crackdowns connected dissent crossed the country, and an ongoing civilian war.  

The telephone for assistance provided a tiny glimmer of anticipation among experts connected Myanmar's governmental concern that this catastrophe mightiness beryllium antithetic from erstwhile ones to deed the country, specified arsenic 2023's Cyclone Mocha, erstwhile assistance efforts were obstructed.

WATCH | Crucial rescue model passes aft Myanmar-Thailand earthquake: 

But that anticipation rapidly dissipated. 

Numerous assistance organizations and quality rights groups confirmed that accelerated assistance earmarked for those successful Myanmar who needed it astir was being blocked, arsenic the "golden" rescue model of 72 hours aft a monolithic earthquake — successful which you're astir apt to find survivors trapped nether the rubble — closed.

"It has conscionable turned retired to beryllium a disaster," Tom Andrews, the United Nations peculiar rapporteur connected quality rights successful Myanmar, told CBC News during an interrogation successful Bangkok, Thailand, which besides suffered harm much than a 1000 kilometres from the quake's epicentre. (A skyscraper nether operation collapsed, trapping much than 80 workers. More than a twelve are confirmed dead.)

"We cognize that assistance [in Myanmar] has been obstructed. We cognize determination person been arrests and blockades astatine checkpoints successful areas wherever they don't privation assistance to go," Andrews said.

"There's a weaponization of this aid."

'I've seen this movie before'

In the days pursuing the earthquake — the worst the portion has seen successful a period — the subject continued airstrikes and bombings connected rebel-held territories. The junta presently controls little than a 3rd of the country, with its powerfulness concentrated successful the large cities. 

But connected Wednesday, Myanmar's service leaders declared a impermanent three-week ceasefire to enactment alleviation efforts, aft the subject authorities drew wide condemnation for firing connected a Chinese Red Cross convoy trying to present nutrient and medicine to survivors. 

A junta spokesperson confirmed that soldiers changeable astatine the vehicles because, helium said, they hadn't been notified the convoy would beryllium arriving.

Rescue teams from the junta's allies — including China and Russia — were the archetypal to participate the state to supply assistance, on with crews from countries similar India, which has maintained cordial relations with Myanmar's service leaders. 

The ruling junta has been shunned and sanctioned by astir Western countries.

According to Andrews, the junta is pursuing a acquainted playbook by obstructing important aid, peculiarly successful regions wherever equipped absorption to the coup is strong. It's a maneuver utilized successful the past to consolidate the army's powerfulness successful Myanmar. 

"I've seen this movie earlier and it doesn't person a blessed ending," Andrews said. 

Pressure connected junta

He added that the continued airstrikes were besides creating "a full level of fearfulness and terror" crossed the war-torn country, wherever immoderate 20 cardinal Burmese were already deprived of due entree to nutrient and structure earlier the earthquake hit. 

"We request each hands connected platform successful Myanmar. But alternatively they're being diverted distant and alternatively of lives being saved, they're being taken," Andrews said. 

The catastrophe has raised questions astir whether the junta volition beryllium capable to clasp onto power as absorption deepens.

The earthquake caused extended harm successful the caller superior of Naypyidaw, a heavy fortified metropolis created by a erstwhile subject wide to enactment up the army's clasp connected Myanmar and insulate its leaders from fashionable dissent. The city's aerial postulation power operation toppled and respective authorities ministry wings collapsed. 

One retired schoolhouse main told the New York Times that Myanmar has "a saying that a monolithic earthquake similar this is nature's mode of punishing a cruel and corrupt ruler."

"After sidesplitting truthful galore people, Min Aung Hlaing is present facing the judgement of nature," she added. 

In November, the International Criminal Court issued an apprehension warrant for Hlaing for crimes against humanity, related to the country's persecution and deportations of its Muslim Rohingya community. 

Desperation grows 

Six days aft the disaster, determination was chaos amid the hundreds of collapsed buildings adjacent to the epicentre. Many residents are crowding parks and different unfastened spaces astatine night, excessively terrified to participate their partially cracked homes, portion others are incapable to instrumentality to demolished houses. 

"In Mandalay city, astir of america are doing it each by ourselves," said Khin Thazin Aung, 31, incapable to combat backmost the tears arsenic she described section rescue efforts. 

"We request everything — things similar nutrient and shelter. But [our government] cannot assistance us," she told CBC News, adding that she hoped the satellite knows however urgently Myanmar needs aid. 

Many residents are struggling with trauma, said Aung, who said she had seen immoderate survivors shaking uncontrollably, arsenic the odor of bodies trapped nether rubble wafted done the air. 

In the shadiness of a large span that collapsed successful the quake, Tin, who lone gave his archetypal sanction to the Reuters ligament service, was combing the stream for his daughter's body. 

"I americium searching for her myself, due to the fact that determination are nary rescue operations here," helium said. "No 1 is present to assistance me." 

Myanmar's subject leaders person refused to let overseas journalists into the state to screen the devastation.

Some assistance organizations person besides had a hard clip entering Myanmar, said Mikhael De Souza, task manager for Médecins sans frontières (MSF) successful the erstwhile capital, Yangon. 

But he's inactive hopeful the standard of the devastation, connected apical of the planetary spotlight, volition sway the junta to fto successful much aid.

"We person teams and a batch of worldly conscionable waiting to participate the country, and I person bully hopes that it volition hap precise soon," De Souza told CBC News connected Thursday. 

Still, helium acknowledged Myanmar is simply a "difficult, analyzable country" whose subject authorities has been challenging to negociate with successful the past. 

Damaged infrastructure is besides impeding the velocity of rescue and betterment efforts, with the thrust from Yangon, the largest city, to Mandalay adjacent the epicentre present taking treble the accustomed 8 hours. 

De Souza said the superior wellness interest is simply a deficiency of energy and cleanable h2o successful the catastrophe zone, with fears that the deficiency of corruption power successful damaged hospitals could provoke a cholera epidemic. 

Monsoon play is besides astir the corner, which volition compound already catastrophic conditions successful the cardinal portion of the country.