Junta shoots the convoy of the Chinese Red Cross

The Myanmar army opened fire on a convoy of the Chinese Red Cross with rescue supplies from the earthquake on Tuesday evening.

The National Army of Liberation of Ta’ang, an armed group, said that military troops had shot the convoy of nine vehicles with machine guns in the east of the state of Shan.

The convoy was on the way to Mandalay, the Hardly touched city Near the epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck last Friday. No injury has been reported.

The Myanmar junta, who said she was investigating the incident, denied having fired directly on the vehicles. He said the troops had fired in the air after the convoy had not stopped, although it was reported to do so.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that its rescue team and its supplies were safe, adding that it hoped that “all factions and parts in Myanmar will prioritize the help of the earthquakes”.

Myanmar was seized by violence in the midst of a civil war between the junta – who seized power in a coup in 2021 – and ethnic militias and forces of resistance across the country.

The country’s humanitarian crisis worsened considerably after the massive earthquake last week, which killed more than 2,700 people, by the government’s estimate. It is believed that the actual number of death is much higher.

Multiple international aid agencies and foreign governments have sent staff and supplies to the regions struck by earthquake.

On Wednesday, a military spokesperson said that the troops had seen the convoy of aid from the canton of Naungcho on Tuesday evening, with vehicles sporting Chinese stickers and myanmar license plates, but had not been advised before the movement of vehicles.

“When we saw the convoy, we stopped it. But they continued. We opened fire about 200 meters away, but they did not stop,” he said.

“About 100 meters away, we fired three shots in the air, after which the vehicles turned to Naungcho.”

China’s Blue Sky Blue Sky rescue, which provided life support in Mandalay, had received a security coverage when it traveled this road, the spokesman said.

He added that when international agencies wish to help, they must inform the government of Myanmar.

The TNLA, which escorted the convoy of the Red Cross, said that it has informed the military council to go to Mandalay.

After withdrawing from Naungcho, they would continue their trip, the group said in a statement.

Rebel groups have unilaterally announced a ceasefire to support the help of the earthquakes. But the army refused to do the same.

A few hours after the earthquake struck on Friday, the Junta launched an air strike in the canton of Naungcho which killed seven people.

The chief of the Junta, Min Aung Hlaing, said that, as ethnic armed groups were still “training in preparation for attacks”, the soldiers would continue his “necessary defense operations”.

The UN described air strikes as “completely scandalous and unacceptable”.