Sun Jun 01 16:51:17 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
The Myanmar junta has extended a post-earthquake ceasefire until June 30th, citing the need for rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in affected areas and to facilitate a planned multi-party general election. Despite previous extensions, conflict monitors report continued fighting. The junta warns it will retaliate against any offensives from armed groups and anti-coup fighters. The extension follows calls from Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, for a broader ceasefire. ASEAN’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict since the 2021 coup have so far been unsuccessful.
**News Article:**
**Myanmar Junta Extends Ceasefire Amid Doubts Over Implementation**
**Yangon, Myanmar – June 1, 2025:** Myanmar’s military junta has announced an extension of its ceasefire until June 30th, following the expiration of a previous truce declared after a devastating earthquake in late March. The junta claims the extension will facilitate reconstruction efforts in earthquake-affected areas and allow for preparations for a “free and fair multi-party democracy general election,” slated to be held by January.
The announcement comes amid skepticism from conflict monitors, who have reported ongoing fighting, including air strikes, despite previous ceasefire declarations. The junta’s statement also warned it would respond to any attacks by ethnic armed groups or anti-coup fighters.
Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), recently urged the extension and expansion of the ceasefire beyond the earthquake-affected zones. ASEAN has been leading diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar since the military coup in February 2021, which ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but these efforts have so far yielded little progress. The situation remains tense, with ongoing clashes and uncertainty surrounding the junta’s commitment to a genuine transition towards democracy.
First Piper 