evidence: Our estimates of recurrence time for M8+ earthquakes are much longer than 500–800 years proposed in other studies15,37. The estimate37 is very preliminary as it is based on few dates, so it has to be taken as a minimum recurrence interval. A shorter recurrence period derived in15,37 is based on two assumptions: (i) all shortening across Burman arc is accommodated exclusively in the IBD; (ii) IBD is fully locked. Our result suggests that half of the shortening occurs in other faults, namely, in the Kabaw and the Kaladan (Fig. 3). These faults play important role in the complex regional geodynamics and strain portioning across the Indo-Burman arc, and this is supported by other studies. Mallick3 suggest that the Burma plate interface accommodates ~ 12 to 24 mm/year of oblique India‐Burma motion, which may further be partitioned among various upper plate structures in the seismic cycle. Steckler et al.4 showed that including the locked Kabaw fault in their model improves the reproduction of the GPS observations. Wang15 have found paleoseismic evidence of uplifts along the western coast of Cheduba and Ramree islands resulted from coseismic slip on splay faults, which are likely rooted in the megathrust.