Myanmar Junta's Ceasefire Breach A Show Of Desperation

2025-04-21 01:13:34

(MENAFN- Asia Times) Just days after a historic diplomatic initiative led by Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as ASEAN's rotational chairman, the ink on Myanmar's latest ceasefire understanding had scarcely dried before it was shattered.

Once again, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's Tatmadaw launched fresh bombings, this time targeting Sagaing , the epicenter of a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

What was meant to be a humanitarian window has now become another chapter in Myanmar's long tragedy - one written in the language of betrayal. But this betrayal, though deeply disheartening, is not ASEAN's failure, least of all Anwar's.

On the contrary, his courage to engage both Myanmar's junta and the opposition National Unity Government (NUG) - a rare and politically risky maneuver - may yet prove a turning point.

Not because it brought peace in a matter of days, but because it exposed the true intransigence of the Tatmadaw and gave ASEAN's diplomacy renewed clarity and legitimacy.

As Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group aptly notes,“The Myanmar military views ceasefires not as instruments of peace, but as pauses for tactical repositioning. Each one broken is not a surprise - it's a signal.”

In this case, the signal is as clear as it is dangerous: the Tatmadaw is losing control of territory, coherence and trust - not just with international actors, but within its own chain of command.

This is especially true in Sagaing, long considered the symbolic and operational heart of the post-coup resistance movement .

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