Myanmar’s Endless Pain: Earthquake Devastation Under a Tyrant’s Rule
- Zaw Phone Myat
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
It is now the end of April 2025 — and my heart continues to break for the people of Myanmar.
On March 28, 2025, a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, one of the strongest earthquakes in the region’s history. As of today, the death toll has surpassed 1,200 lives lost, with thousands more injured and countless missing (Al Jazeera, CNN). Families have been shattered, homes have crumbled into dust, and entire communities have been wiped off the map.
Satellite images from Sentinel-1 captured by the European Space Agency reveal the scale of destruction, showing vast ground shifts across affected regions (ESA). The very earth beneath us has changed forever.
Yet amid all this tragedy, the people of Myanmar find themselves more abandoned than ever — not only by nature, but by the very regime that claims to govern them.
The military junta, a regime that should never even be recognized as a legitimate government, has once again proven its utter disregard for human life. Instead of focusing on disaster relief, the junta continues to terrorize, silence, and abuse innocent civilians. Aid efforts are being delayed, blocked, or manipulated by the military, as Myanmar remains an active war zone (The New Humanitarian).
Survivors are left without food, water, medical aid, or shelter. In some devastated areas, humanitarian teams cannot even enter safely. People are sleeping in makeshift tents or under open skies, constantly fearing more aftershocks, disease, and further military brutality.
Reports from the ground paint a terrifying picture:
Over 1,200 people killed and thousands missing or injured.
Entire towns such as Tachileik and parts of Shan State severely damaged (BBC).
Aid workers struggling to deliver basic necessities to earthquake victims amid ongoing armed conflict (Disaster Philanthropy).
How much more must the people suffer? How many more must die before the world truly sees the nightmare we are living through?
Today, as aftershocks continue to rattle the country and families mourn their loved ones, the military offers no help, no hope, and no humanity. They rule through violence and fear, not leadership. They are not a government — they are oppressors.
I am filled with profound sadness and anger.
My prayers and my thoughts go out to every innocent soul enduring this unbearable suffering. You deserve so much better.
To the international community: please do not turn away. Myanmar desperately needs humanitarian aid that reaches the people — not the pockets of the junta. Myanmar needs the world to stand with its citizens, to demand justice, to call for freedom, and to support the rebuilding of lives shattered by both tyranny and disaster.
To the people of Myanmar — you are not alone. You are seen. You are loved. You are remembered. As we mark another grim anniversary since the military coup of 2021, I still believe with all my heart that your courage will outlast their cruelty.
May the world finally listen.
May true peace and democracy return to our beautiful but broken land.
Image Source - Reuters
