A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
09:07 Share

The country of Myanmar has been in crisis for years. A civil war has been going on since 2021. And then last Friday, a devastating earthquake hit, leaving at least 3,000 people dead.

The tragedy only deepened the humanitarian crisis in the country. The situation is very difficult. It's very dire. There is a shortage of food, water, electricity, internet. In the aftermath of the quake, resistance groups and the country's military rulers declared a temporary ceasefire. But there are reports the military continues to launch attacks.

Elena Vuolo is the World Health Organization deputy head in Myanmar. She says her team has been focused on getting trauma and surgical kits to hospitals. We're also working to make sure that this earthquake does not disrupt a health system that was already fragile. Because after all, this earthquake is just an additional crisis within a very dire humanitarian situation.

Even before this earthquake struck, UN officials said that nearly 20 million people were in need in Myanmar. One person watching the situation closely is Kim Aris. His mother is Aung San Suu Kyi, who was the country's de facto leader before the military ousted and imprisoned her after a coup four years ago.

When Eris spoke to us earlier this week, he wasn't even sure where his mother was or whether she was safe. Well, we believe in Napidor Prison. It's very hard to confirm anything. Near where the earthquake hit.

So we're very concerned about her well-being, obviously. But it's very hard to confirm anything. Consider this. The earthquake has brought more devastation to Myanmar, raising questions about whether the country's military can stay in power and about the future of its ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. From NPR, I'm Elsa Chang.

This message comes from Charles Schwab. When it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices, like full-service wealth management and advice when you need it. You can also invest on your own and trade on Thinkorswim. Visit Schwab.com to learn more.

This message comes from Rinse. These days, you can do a lot from your phone. Book a vacation, buy and trade stocks, but you can also make your dirty laundry disappear and then reappear washed and folded with Rinse. Schedule a pickup with the Rinse app, and before you know it, your clothes are back, folded, and ready to wear. They even do dry cleaning. Sign up now and get $20 off your first order at Rinse.com. That's R-I-N-S-E dot com.

This message comes from NPR sponsor, Certified Financial Planners. Asking the right questions can greatly impact your future, especially when it comes to your finances. So if you're looking for a financial advisor you can trust, Certified Financial Planner professionals are committed to acting in your best interest. That's why it's gotta be a CFP. Find your CFP professional at letsmakeaplan.org.

It's Consider This from NPR. Let's take a step back and talk a little more about Aung San Suu Kyi. She led pro-democracy protests against military rule, and in 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Suu Kyi spent years under house arrest before her party in 2015 won the country's first democratic elections in decades. She was also the first

And although the constitution did not formally allow her to take power, she became the country's de facto leader. That is, until she was ousted in 2021. Suu Kyi earned international praise for her pro-democracy activism, but she has also drawn criticism for her response to the plight of the Rohingya, a minority group in Myanmar, and allegations that she stood by as the military committed genocide.

allegations which she has denied. My colleague Mary Louise Kelly spoke with her son, Kim Aris, earlier this week before the military ceasefire was announced. The sentence that she is currently serving is 33 years on corruption and other charges. I will note that human rights groups have called those charges a sham. You are calling for them to be dropped?

Absolutely, I'm calling for her to be freed, along with all the other political prisoners, and for the country to be returned to its democratically elected government. The military have shown that they're incapable of ruling or leading their country in any way, and people will not accept it.

We mentioned the earthquake, a terrible event, obviously, with so many people killed and survivors desperate, even more desperate than they were for food, for medicine, for vital supplies. The quake has made what sounds like an already difficult situation in your country far more difficult. Yes. The military have used natural disasters in the past to weaponize aid,

And they're doing so again on this occasion. And they're still bombing innocent civilians at the same time. At the moment, they've cut off aid organizations getting to the most needy areas. And they're stopping journalists getting in.

We had the Myanmar country acting director for a major aid organization on the program who was describing that his teams are able to move, they are getting access, but it's incredibly difficult and there is vast need for medical supplies. Acknowledging the horror of the situation, does it open any doors, any opportunities for a change in your mother's circumstances?

We can only hope, but at the moment there isn't any indication of that and I haven't heard of what the results are of that earthquake in the prison really. I've heard that she's safe, but there's no way of confirming that. Hmm.

I need to ask about a part of your mother's record. She won, as we said, the Nobel Peace Prize. She has also come under criticism for her response to the Rohingya crisis, for refusing to acknowledge the military's role in massacres. That's incorrect. She never refused to acknowledge the military's role. She refused to condemn the military on the account of genocide.

That's something else. But she always said the military were responsible for... She defended the military at the International Court of Justice against allegations of genocide. No, she wasn't defending the military. She was actually defending her country. That's something very different. She was working with the military, but not in any way against the Rohingya. She was always trying to do everything she could for the Rohingya, even before it came to the international community's attention.

And the fact is that she was doing more for the Rohingya than anybody else in the world, which the media at the time failed to report on because it didn't fit their narrative. Well, I will ask you with no narrative or agenda, but just part of what has prompted criticism are the basic facts that there was a horrific exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh. The Secretary General of the United Nations called what was happening in Myanmar ethnic cleansing horrible.

And your mother was the de facto leader. My question for you, did she ever express any regrets about how she handled that situation, whether she might have been able to do more? I don't get to talk to my mother about political issues really, since we only communicate over the phone often, and we know the military will be listening in. But I think actually she may have some regrets, but it wouldn't be the ones you think.

She will be able to hold up her head and say she was doing everything she possibly could for the Rohingya. And if you read the evidence which is out there, I'm sure you would agree. When were you last in Myanmar? I think it was about eight or nine years ago, maybe. Is that because you were not able to return because of security reasons? Well, I wouldn't be able to go back now, certainly. But in the past, I generally go to Burma to see my mother, and she's been extremely busy, so...

I get to see her when I can. You call your country Burma? Yes. In this moment, do you see a way out for Myanmar? I do. For how this war ends? Despite the fact that the world is turning a blind eye to what's happening over there and is doing nothing to help, the military are losing. And they have the weaponry, the fighter planes, the backing of countries like China, Russia and India.

And still they're losing. They're not in control of even 70% of the country now. So I do see hope that the resistance will win, and soon. That was Kim Aris, the son of imprisoned political leader Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, speaking to my co-host Mary Louise Kelly.

This episode was produced by Mallory Yu and Alejandra Marquez-Hanse. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Patrick Jaron-Watananen. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. And thanks to our Consider This Plus listeners who support the work of NPR journalists and help keep public radio strong. Supporters also hear every episode without messages from sponsors. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Elsa Chang. This message comes from NPR sponsor Rosetta Stone, an expert in language learning for 30 years. Right now, NPR listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership to 25 different languages for 50% off. Learn more at rosettastone.com slash NPR. Support for NPR and the following message come from Washington Wise.

Decisions made in Washington can affect your portfolio every day. Washington Wise from Charles Schwab is an original podcast that unpacks the stories making news and how they may affect your finances and portfolio. Host Mike Townsend and his guests explore policy initiatives for retirement savings, taxes, trade, and more. Download the latest episode and follow at schwab.com slash Washington Wise or wherever you listen.

This message comes from Thrive Market. The food industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, but not everything on the shelf is made with your health in mind.

At Thrive Market, they go beyond the standards, curating the highest quality products for you and your family while focusing on organic first and restricting more than 1,000 harmful ingredients. All shipped to your door. Shop at a grocery store that actually cares for your health at thrivemarket.com slash podcast for 30% off your first order plus a $60 free gift.