CNI News

1 April 2025

A Chinese rescue team successfully rescued a woman who had been trapped in the Great Wall Hotel in Mandalay for about 60 hours at 00:40 a.m. on March 31, 2025  after the earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28  the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar announced.

The surviving woman was rescued after more than 5 hours of intensive rescue efforts.

The woman was the first survivor rescued by the Chinese rescue team after it arrived in Mandalay, where the disaster was most severe.

Local Myanmar rescue teams, the Shenzhen Volunteer Rescue Team, and the Russian rescue team joined the rescue effort.

CNI News

1 April 2025

The International Buddhist Education Centre (IBEC) in Sagaing has been opened as the relief center for earthquake victims within Sagaing Township, wrote Ashin Vicitta Shwebo on his social network page.

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck centering in Sagaing near Mandalay on 28 March 2025.

The earthquake caused casualties and damage to homes, religious buildings, hotels, government housing, and government offices in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, and Naypyidaw Council areas.

The earthquake damaged 82.5 percent of Sagaing City and more than 120,000 people in the city became earthquake victims. The earthquake destroyed more than 2,000 monasteries and nunneries, said Ashin Vicitta Shwebo on his social network page.

So, the abbot said that IBEC would be opened as a relief center to carry out emergency relief operations. Currently, earthquake-affected people in Sagaing are facing shortages of medicine, drinking water and food, and are in urgent need of relief and support supplies.

Those interested in participating can contact 09 - 400447473, 09 - 798716259,
09775284633, 09 – 780283453, wrote Ashin Vicitta Shwebo.

CNI News

1 April 2025

Because rescue teams need helmets, gloves, and goggles in penetrating and removing mortar, bricks, and steel rods, leader of the Information Team, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun requested the international community to provide Myanmar with them on 31 March 2025.

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit centering in Sagaing near Mandalay  on Friday.

Due to the earthquake, 1,644 people were killed and over 3,400 people were injured and over 390 people were missing; buildings including houses and hotels collapsed and were destroyed; there were people trapped under collapsed buildings, reported the SAC.

"You will see military personnel, Red Cross members, Myanmar firefighters, and Myanmar police officers all providing rescue services. They are removing mortar, bricks, and steel rods. But they haven't worn gloves, helmets and goggles. So, I want to request the international community to provide Myanmar with them." said Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun.

Currently, international organizations, including Vietnam, India, China, Thailand, Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, have arrived in Myanmar to help rescue earthquake-affected people.

CNI News

1 April 2025

Due to the earthquake, some Regions and States are experiencing power outages and the State Administration Council is working to restore power as soon as possible while the PDFs attacked the Tanyanug Power Substation with small arms, reported the SAC.

The PDFs based in Salin Town attacked the security forces in the Tanyaung Power Substation near Salin, using small arms at about 6:00 a.m. on 31 March 2025, reported the SAC.

A very strong earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck centering Sagaing City in Myanmar on 28 March 2025. The earthquake caused power outages. Moreover, internet and telephone lines were cut out across Myanmar.

As of March 29th, 1,644 people were killed and over 3,400 people were injured in Sagaing, Mandalay and Naypyidaw.

International aid teams including those from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong have arrived and are carrying out rescue operations.

CNI News

1 April 2025

Rescue teams sent by the Indian government has begun relief operations in Mandalay where there were a lot of casualties and buildings collapsed due to the earthquake that rocked on 28 March 2025. 

India sent 71 members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 10 medical teams to Mandalay on 30 March 2025 and they have started carrying out relief operations.

The Indian Embassy said that the NDRF of India has begun carrying out rescue operations for the monks who were trapped in the U Hla Thein Altar Extension Building, Masoe Yain Monastery, Mandalay that collapsed and the people who were trapped in the Sky Villa that collapsed.

About 170 monks were trapped in the extension building and around 90 monks reportedly were dead.

CNI News

1 April 2025

India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has begun rescue operations in the U Hla Thein Temple Extension Building, Masoe Yain Monastery, Mandalay to rescue 170 monks who were trapped in the ruins, released the Indian Embassy. 

Monks were sitting for examination in the extension building while the building collapsed due to the earthquake rocked on 28 March 2025 and the monks were trapped in the ruins.

" We searched with our trained dogs. But those who were alive were not seen in the monastery. We only found dead bodies." said the Indian rescue team.

About 90 monks who were sitting for examination were dead and the NDRF began searching the remaining monks who were trapped on 31 March.

The rescue task has been named 'Brama Operation' by India.

CNI News

31 March 2025

Current problems must be solved together with the military, chairman of the People's Party U Ko Ko Gyi told CNI News. Although the Tatmadaw must be under the civilian administration, because it is involved in various fields, including the administrative and social spheres. 

When solving these problems, they must be solved together with the Tatmadaw, he said.

" The ideal situation is that military is under the control of the civilian administration. But since 1962 when the military staged a coup d'état, the party which was formed by the military had ruled the country until 1988. And then, the military ruled the country until 2011. It was impossible for the military to withdraw from politics. It was involved in the administrative and social fields etc. So, when we solve the problem, we have accepted we have to solved the problem together with the military. But we'll go on trying to become a 100 percent democratic system. But in the current situation, it will be difficult to solve the problem if we lay down a pre-condition before a dialogue. Although we have to solve the problem together with the military, we have to continue to discuss to gradually reduce the military's participation in politics." said U Ko Ko Gyi.

While seeing Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and leaders of the NLD Party

General Ne Win got the state power from Prime Minister U Nu of the civilian government in 1958. The Myanmar Tatmadaw overthrew the civilian government led by PM U Nu in 1962 and took the state power. In 1988, the Myanmar Tatmadaw took the state power through the student uprising again.

After that, saying that the NLD government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi tried to form a government without solving the vote list dispute in the 2020 general election, the Myanmar Tatmadaw overthrew the NLD government on 1 February 2021 and announced the state of emergency.

In the current politics, the Myanmar Tatmadaw would be involved in politics until the conflicts end, vice chairman of the National Democratic Force Party, U Htet Aung Kyaw told CNI News.

" The Myanmar Tatmadaw will be taking part in politics until the current conflicts end. The reason why Bamar PDFs from the mainland are waging an armed resistance, they don't like that the Myanmar Tatmadaw has maintained the state power. It's not because of other ideologies. If elections were finished, which ideology would the PDFs maintain to go on revolutionizing? What are they going to do next if the Tatmadaw has returned to their place?" he said.

While seeing those who were protesting against the Myanmar Tatmadaw, and security forces

In the political change after 1st February 2021, according to the 2008 constitution, the Myanmar Tatmadaw has maintained the state power, said some political parties and the Myanmar Tatmadaw. However, EAOs, democratic forces and foreign countries have said that Myanmar Tatmadaw has staged a coup d'état.

It was necessary to finish holding elections during January 2026, said the SAC Chairman Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing at the meeting of the SAC on 25 March 2025.

On the other hand, armed groups trying to overthrow the SAC and the Myanmar Tatmadaw have announced that they will surely destroy the election that will be held by the SAC.

CNI News
30 March 2025

The chairman of the State Administration Council Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Mandalay in the morning on 29 March 2025, where suffered the most casualties and building collapses due to a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked and supervised rescue and reconstruction efforts.

And then, a meeting was convened at the Central Command to carry out relief and support operations within the Mandalay Region. Because a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked near Mandalay, 1,002 people were killed and 2,376 people were injured all over the country as well as 68 people are missing, according to the statistics received as of the afternoon of March 29.

Due to the earthquake that rocked on 28 March 2025, in Mandalay Region, 694 people were killed and 1,640 people were injured, reported the SAC on 29 March 2025.

Moreover, 68 people are missing while 1,591 houses, 670 monasteries, 60 schools, three bridges and 290 pagodas were damaged, the detailed list was still being collected. reported the SAC.

Temporary relief camps have been opened in Mandalay and earthquake victims have been looked after. Currently, a state of emergency has been declared in Mandalay Region, Sagaing Region, Bago Region, Yangon Region, Eastern Shan State, and the Naypyidaw Council areas.

Russia, China, the United States, India, Malaysia, and ASEAN have sent relief teams and are also providing relief supplies to help earthquake-hit Myanmar.

CNI News

28 March 2025

It was necessary to finish holding elections during January 2026, said chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC). He said the above in the SAC meeting on 25 March 2025.

During the two year period when the SAC had taken the state responsibility, although it had planned to hold elections, that period was the time shortly after the Covid-19 and unstable elections could not be held, said the SAC Chairman.

Because the census-taking has been conducted in 2024, the SAC has planned that elections will be held in the third week and fourth week of December, 2025, and in the first week and second week of January, 2026, said the SAC Chairman.

According to the election law, elections must be held in one day if possible on a public holiday. So, there is no set date for holding the election. In Myanmar's history, even during the parliamentary democracy era, due to internal armed conflicts, elections could not be held just one time. So, the SAC must carry out in order to finish holding elections successfully, he said.

Regarding the sessions of Pyidaungsu and Amyotha Hluttaws, provisions related to meeting quorum has been imposed in the constitution; because Region and State Hluttaws must elect and appoint chief ministers, it is important; as Electronic Voting Machine will be used, voters can vote in a short time and voting results can be achieved in a short time, said the SAC Chairman.

In any case, it was necessary to finish holding elections successfully during January 2026;  political parties are also allowed to run the elections in accordance with the law, he said.

Although the SAC had announced that elections would be held in August 2023, saying it was not a normal situation  because armed conflicts were widespread across the country, the state of emergency repeatedly was extended until today.

And then, elections will be held in December 2025 or January 2026, said the SAC Chairman Sr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing at a joint press conference with the Belarusian President Lukashenko on 7 March 2025.

On the other hand, armed groups trying to overthrow the SAC and the Myanmar Tatmadaw have announced that they will surely destroy the election led by the SAC.

Currently, battles are severely taking place in Myanmar's Shan State, Kayin State, Chin State, Rakhine State, Mon State, Kayah State, Kachin State, Sagaing Region, Magway Region, Bago Region, Mandalay Region, and Tanintharyi Region.