Concerns Rise in Taiwan and Singapore's Myanmar Communities Following Earthquake

In the wake of a devastating earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, significant anxiety has gripped the Myanmar communities in Taiwan and Singapore. Many residents are anxiously awaiting news about their loved ones affected by the disaster. The earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7.7, struck near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, which has a substantial ethnic Chinese population with connections to Taiwan.

In New Taipei's Little Myanmar, a community hub for the Sino-Burmese population, Win Win has been fervently checking social media for updates about her family. The uncertainty has left her overwhelmed with fear, as she struggles to connect with her relatives. She works at a local restaurant, where she attempts to distract herself by serving snacks, yet the worry lingers as she awaits news.

Another resident, Yee Yu Nai, is also anxiously searching for information about her sister, who lives in Mandalay. While she has confirmed that her sister's newly built home is intact, she has learned that the surrounding area has suffered extensive damage.

The history of the Myanmar community in Taiwan dates back to the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 when many soldiers from the Republic of China fled to Burma, eventually relocating to Taiwan. More recent migrations have occurred due to political repression and anti-Chinese sentiment in Myanmar.

Concerns about the safety of family members back home are echoed by Huang, a local resident who prefers to remain anonymous. Her primary worry is for her relatives still living in a country beset by civil strife, fearing that no help will reach them in the aftermath of the quake.

In Singapore, where approximately 200,000 Burmese migrants reside, the situation is similarly grim. At the Peninsula Plaza, a popular gathering place for the Burmese community, many are sharing their fears about relatives who have already endured civil unrest and natural disasters. Su Laff, who works in logistics, expressed her distress over the multiple hardships her family has faced, including prior floods.

Shopkeeper Min Koon shared his harrowing experience of trying to contact family members in Mandalay. After a lengthy wait, he finally reached his sister, who informed him that a wall had collapsed on a family member, leaving them without access to medical care. The uncertainty about their injuries is deeply distressing.

Aung Myo Thant, a painter, is making plans to fly back to Mandalay, even at a premium price, to be with his family. Although he has confirmed that his wife and children are unharmed, their home has collapsed, leaving them in a precarious situation. His emotional struggle reflects the hardships faced by many in the community as they grapple with the aftermath of the earthquake.

As communities in Taiwan and Singapore await further developments and responses to international aid offers, the impacts of the earthquake continue to resonate deeply among those with connections to Myanmar.