Ruth Pollard, Columnist

The Quake in Myanmar Should Force the Junta’s Hand

Natural disasters have spurred the end of long-running civil conflicts.

March 31, 2025 at 11:00 PM UTC

Ruth Pollard is a Bloomberg Opinion Managing Editor. Previously she was South and Southeast Asia government team leader at Bloomberg News and Middle East correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Myanmar earthquake toll could go above 10,000.
Photographer: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images

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Myanmar’s generals have a choice to make following Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

They can repeat the mistakes of 17 years ago when they refused to allow international help after Cyclone Nargis tore through the country, leaving 140,000 dead, or facilitate the free flow of urgent assistance.