Myanmar’s Earthquake Exposes Political Fault Lines
When the earth shook in central Myanmar on March 28, many in the Buddhist-majority country waited for the aftermath to undermine the military junta’s repressive rule—reflecting a belief that natural disasters can signal waning karmic merit for those in power. What they saw instead was a regime eager to leverage humanitarian aid for legitimacy amid an ongoing civil war.
In the hours after the deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake, the streets of Mandalay and Sagaing—not far from the epicenter—resembled a war zone. Survivors clawed through debris to free loved ones, with virtually no sign of help from authorities. Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, along with the Mandalay and Sagaing regions were the hardest hit.… Seguir leyendo »