BANGKOK -- As the death toll mounts from Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake in war-torn Myanmar, leaders of the parallel National Unity Government have begun lobbying behind the scenes to secure new routes for humanitarian aid, fearing that foreign assistance will be held hostage by the ruling military regime.
The humanitarian diplomacy endeavor is aimed at sympathetic governments in Southeast Asia, Western donor countries and international aid agencies. It includes a push to replace conventional aid delivery with alternative options, said Zin Mar Aung, the NUG's foreign minister.
