Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing will be attending a regional summit in Thailand as his nation grapples with an earthquake that took the lives of thousands and devastated cities.

Last Friday’s earthquake in central Myanmar resulted in 3,085 deaths and 4,715 injuries according to the junta, with hundreds more still unaccounted for, a toll expected to rise.

A military spokesperson revealed on Thursday that Min Aung Hlaing is expected to travel to Bangkok on the eve of a summit with the leaders of the seven countries bordering the Bay of Bengal, which is unusual given the typically banned attendance of sanctioned leaders.

Thailand has proposed that these leaders issue a joint statement on the disaster, with other participating nations including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

International aid and rescue teams have been sent to Myanmar after the earthquake, but efforts have been hindered by the country’s poor infrastructure and ongoing civil conflict.

The junta declared a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday to aid relief efforts, following their earlier rejection of ceasefire proposals by armed ethnic rebel groups.

Airstrikes in rebel-held areas, including earthquake- affected regions, continued from the military until recent events.

Furthermore, on Tuesday night, junta troops fired upon a Chinese Red Cross convoy with relief supplies.

Myanmar has been in the midst of a brutal civil war since the military coup in 2021, which saw the rise of an armed resistance in collaboration with ethnic groups, some with longstanding enmity towards the military.

Years of conflict have devastated the economy, accelerated inflation, and plunged the nation into a deepening humanitarian crisis.

The earthquake has exacerbated the crisis, leading humanitarian organizations to urge the junta to remove any remaining barriers to aid.

The UN is also advocating for an increase in global aid, especially before the monsoon season in about a month.