UK urges Myanmar military to extend ceasefire, citing virus

Ethnic Chin people hold placards during a protest asking for an end to conflict in Chin state and Rakhin State in Yangon on July 13, 2019. - AFP

UNITED NATIONS (AP): The United Kingdom urged Myanmar’s military Thursday (May 14) to extend its recently announced cease-fire to include the escalating conflict in northern Rakhine and Chin states where civilians are suffering a heavy toll at the time of the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK Mission to the United Nations made the appeal after a closed meeting of the UN Security Council that it called because of growing concern about fighting in the two states between government forces and the Arakan Army, a well-armed guerrilla force representing the Buddhist Rakhine minority.