Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he will meet the head of Myanmar’s regime in Bangkok, Thailand, this week to push for the extension of a ceasefire between Naypyidaw and anti-regime forces to help with earthquake relief.

As the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, Anwar said the meeting with regime leader Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday was being held on humanitarian grounds, as there continued to be no formal engagements between Myanmar and ASEAN.

Myanmar was hit by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake last month that killed thousands and caused significant damage.

“I thank General Min Aung Hlaing for responding positively to our call… During my meeting with him on April 17, I will push for the ceasefire to be extended,” Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military’s overthrow of an elected civilian government sparked a civil war.

The regime and anti-regime forces have announced unilateral ceasefires to support the quake relief, but have accused each other of violating the agreements.

ASEAN wants Myanmar to implement the bloc’s five-point peace plan to halt the fighting, and has barred the regime from attending its meetings over their failure to comply.

Anwar said Malaysia will continue its humanitarian assistance for the earthquake-hit country through a temporary field hospital run by the Malaysian Armed Forces.

Min Aung Hlaing attended a summit in Bangkok earlier this month, a rare foreign trip for the leader who has been largely shunned internationally since the 2021 coup.

REUTERS