Guest contributor

James Shwe

The catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, has laid bare decades of systemic failures under military rule. While the quake’s geological origins were unavoidable, the staggering death toll—now exceeding 3,870 lives—and apocalyptic destruction are the direct result of a regime that has long prioritized power over people. From lethally flawed buildings to active obstruction of relief efforts, Myanmar’s tragedy is a man-made catastrophe.

A legacy of engineering failures

Myanmar’s infrastructure was doomed to fail long before the earthquake struck. The junta’s disregard for basic engineering principles turned cities into death traps:

1. No resistance to lateral movement:

• Buildings in Myanmar are not designed to withstand horizontal forces, a critical flaw in earthquake-prone regions. Most structures lack shear walls, cross-bracing, or moment frames, leaving them vulnerable to even minor tremors.
• During the quake, entire apartment blocks in Mandalay toppled sideways, crushing residents as walls and columns snapped like twigs under lateral stress.

2. Top-heavy designs:

• Many buildings are dangerously top-heavy due to unregulated rooftop water tanks, which add excessive weight to upper floors. Combined with weak foundations and poor load distribution, this design flaw caused structures to collapse under their own weight—even in areas untouched by seismic activity.
• In Yangon, a six-story residential building crumpled vertically without any shaking, killing 43 people. Investigators later found its foundations could not support the weight of its rooftop tanks.

3. Geotechnical negligence:

• Construction projects proceed without soil stability assessments. Mandalay, built on soft alluvial soils prone to liquefaction, saw neighborhoods sink as the ground turned to sludge.
• In hilly regions like Shan State, landslides buried villages because slope stability studies were never conducted.

4. Substandard materials:

• Cheap, low-quality steel reinforcements corroded prematurely, while poorly mixed concrete cracked under pressure. Many buildings used river sand contaminated with salt, accelerating structural decay.

Repeating the mistakes of past disasters

The junta’s lethal incompetence is not new. Myanmar’s history is littered with disasters worsened by corruption and neglect:

• Cyclone Nargis (2008): Over 138,000 deaths occurred as the junta blocked international aid and confiscated relief supplies. Survivors rebuilt flimsy homes without oversight, perpetuating vulnerability.
• Cyclone Mocha (2023): Winds reaching 200 mph destroyed 90 percent of Sittwe, but funds for storm-resistant housing were diverted to military projects.
• Typhoon Yagi (2024): Flooding displaced 400,000 people, but state contractors used subpar materials to rebuild dykes, which failed again within months.

Each disaster revealed the same pattern: funds stolen, warnings ignored, and communities abandoned.

Airstrikes amidst rubble: The junta’s shameful priorities

While survivors dug through debris with bare hands, the junta has continued its military campaign in earthquake-affected areas—a grotesque betrayal of its citizens.

1. Targeting civilians amid disaster:

• Airstrikes hit resistance-held towns near Sagaing, the quake’s epicenter, as survivors searched for loved ones. Amnesty International confirmed the attacks on Chaung-U Township on April 1, where paramotor bombs struck crowds recovering bodies.
• Military checkpoints blocked aid convoys, including a Chinese Red Cross shipment to Mandalay, which was fired upon by soldiers.

2. No search and rescue efforts:

• The junta has deployed zero equipment or personnel to clear rubble or recover survivors. Instead, it prioritized bombing campaigns against resistance groups, cratering roads needed for relief.
• Local volunteers in Mandalay reported using only shovels and ropes to extract bodies, while junta soldiers armed with automatic weapons were keeping watch on the international volunteers without helping and helicopters circled overhead in resistance areas—dropping bombs, not supplies.

3. Suppressing science and safety:

• Geologists’ warnings about the Sagaing fault’s seismic risk were censored. Military-linked firms built luxury apartments directly atop fault lines in Naypyidaw.

Humanitarian catastrophe by design

The numbers at the time of writing four days after the quake are already staggering but unsurprising:

• 3,870+ dead, 4,760 injured, and 780 missing as temperatures exceed 40°C (104°F).
• Over 10,000 buildings collapsed, including mosques packed with worshippers and schools during mid-session.
• In Sagaing, villages remain cut off by bomb-cratered roads and military blockades.

A global moral test

Effective assistance requires bypassing the junta whenever possible and partnering with local civil society groups capable of delivering aid directly to affected communities. 

However, bypassing the regime entirely may not be 100 percent practical or achievable in all cases given its control over key infrastructure and access points. 

The best scenario must be adopted—one that saves as many lives as possible while minimizing opportunities for the junta to exploit humanitarian aid for its own gain.

Most major resistance groups have declared temporary ceasefires considering the disaster; however, reports indicate that the junta only reluctantly followed suit after mounting international pressure. A close look at junta activities is necessary during this period to ensure that aid is not misappropriated or weaponized against vulnerable populations.

Nations providing aid must avoid legitimizing this oppressive regime through their assistance efforts:

• Nations like China have already sent significant aid routed through junta-controlled channels—indirectly bolstering its authority.
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) “non-political” aid framework risks funneling resources into regime-controlled systems rather than directly assisting affected communities.

True assistance requires strategic collaboration with local organizations already embedded within communities rather than reliance on a regime that has proven itself incapable of governance or compassion.

The path forward: Justice and accountability

1. Adopt modern engineering standards

Myanmar’s infrastructure must be rebuilt with safety and resilience in mind. The country’s outdated construction practices and lack of enforcement have left its buildings dangerously vulnerable to seismic activity.

• Ban top-heavy designs: Prohibit rooftop water tanks and other top-heavy structures that destabilize buildings during earthquakes.
• Mandate seismic retrofitting: Enforce retrofitting of existing buildings, especially schools, hospitals, and high-rises, to meet modern seismic standards.
• Require geotechnical assessments: Make soil stability studies mandatory for all construction projects, particularly in areas prone to liquefaction or landslides.
• Enforce structural engineering standards: Mandate the use of shear walls, cross-bracing, and moment frames in all new constructions to improve resistance to lateral movement caused by earthquakes.

These measures must be supported by rigorous inspections and penalties for non-compliance to ensure adherence.

2. Prosecute corruption

Corruption has been a major factor in Myanmar’s vulnerability to disasters. Addressing this issue is critical to ensuring that resources are used effectively for rebuilding and preparedness.

• Train independent engineers: Establish independent oversight bodies staffed with trained engineers to audit construction projects for compliance with safety standards. These audits must be transparent and free from political interference.
• Address corruption at all levels: Corruption in Myanmar exists not only at the top but also at local levels due to poverty and lack of awareness. Public education campaigns on the importance of safety standards can help reduce bribery and increase accountability.
• Freeze stolen assets: International efforts should focus on identifying and freezing junta officials’ offshore accounts to recover billions of dollars stolen from public funds. These recovered funds should be redirected toward rebuilding infrastructure and disaster preparedness initiatives.

3. Global solidarity, not complicity

The international community has a critical role to play in Myanmar’s recovery, but assistance must be provided responsibly to avoid legitimizing the junta or exacerbating the suffering of the people.

• Learn from global examples: Nepal’s post-earthquake reforms after 2015 offer valuable lessons in rebuilding resilient infrastructure, training local masons in seismic-resistant techniques, and decentralizing disaster management efforts. Similarly, Japan’s disaster resilience—rooted in strict building codes, early warning systems, and public education—can serve as a model for Myanmar.
• Investigate crimes against humanity: The U.N. must investigate the junta’s obstruction of aid delivery during the earthquake as a potential crime against humanity. Blocking relief efforts during a disaster violates international humanitarian law and exacerbates suffering.
• Avoid geopolitical agendas: Neighboring countries must prioritize saving lives over advancing their own geopolitical interests during this crisis. Nations like China, which have routed aid through junta-controlled channels, risk legitimizing an oppressive regime while failing to reach those most in need.

Myanmar’s earthquake is not a natural disaster—it is a massacre enabled by decades of junta corruption, negligence, and violence. Buildings collapsed not because of the earth’s tremors, but because the regime engineered fragility into every pillar of society. To send aid through the junta is to fund Myanmar’s oppression. The world must choose – stand with a murderous regime or with the millions fighting for survival.

James Shwe is a Myanmar democracy activist in the U.S. and is a member of the advocacy groups Free Myanmar and the Los Angeles Myanmar Movement. He has been trying to organize and motivate the Myanmar diaspora to advocate for democracy in Myanmar.

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