'No Cease-fire' in Myanmar’s Ethnic Minority States, According to Humanitarian Group

BANGKOK - Ethnic groups in Myanmar’s Kayin State and elsewhere are reportedly still experiencing waves of attacks from the country’s military, the Tatmadaw, after the February coup, despite the junta’s declaration of a one-month cease-fire on March 31.

The armed forces have aggressively cracked down on pro-democracy protesters nationwide since the coup, leaving thousands detained and hundreds dead. Although the current nationwide crackdown in Myanmar is the biggest seen in years, ethnic conflict in the Southeast Asian nation is not new. Myanmar, also known as Burma, is home to the world’s longest ongoing civil war, spanning 70 years with a series of ethnic insurgencies. David Eubank, head of the Thai-based Free Burma Rangers, a group that has provided medical assistance inside Myanmar, told VOA this week that daily military attacks against several ethnic minority states continue.