Military Fires on Chinese Aid Convoy in Myanmar, Rebels Say
Soldiers in Myanmar opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying relief supplies from the Chinese Red Cross for earthquake victims in the badly hit city of Mandalay, according to a rebel armed group in Myanmar.The attack was the latest indication that the military, which seized power in a coup four years ago and is fighting a fierce civil war that has caused widespread suffering, would not stop hostilities despite last Friday’s devastating earthquake that killed at least 2,700.In a statement on Tuesday night, Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior Gen.Min Aung Hlaing, said military operations will continue as “necessary protective measures” despite the earthquake.The convoy came under attack by military forces using machine guns at 9:21 p.m.
on Tuesday at Ummati village in Naung Cho township as it was traveling toward the central city of Mandalay, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said in a post on its Telegram channel late on Tuesday.It did not say how many people were in the convoy or whether there were any fatalities or injuries.As a result of the attack, the convoy had to retreat to Naung Cho, according to the TNLA.
It said that it has stepped in to protect the convoy, ensuring that it continues its journey to deliver aid to those in need.Myanmar’s military and the Red Cross Society of China did not immediately respond to requests for comment.China, which has close relations with Myanmar, was one of the first countries to respond to the earthquake, deploying search-and-rescue teams and sending about $14 million in emergency aid.In the wake of the disaster, the National Unity Government, the shadow government in exile, and the Three Brotherhood Alliance, made up of three rebel groups including the TNLA, announced cease-fires.But the army has continued to bomb parts of the country since the disaster.
On Tuesday around 5.30 p.m., 38 young trainees of the Kachin Independence Army (K.I.A.), an armed group battling the military in northern Myanmar, were...