India issued the first advisory for its citizens in Myanmar following a sharp downturn in the security situation, asking citizens to immediately leave Rakhine state. Rakhine state is among the areas where armed ethnic groups have registered significant successes against Myanmar’s junta since three powerful organisations launched an offensive last October.
“In view of the deteriorating security situation, disruption of means of telecommunications, including landlines, and severe scarcity of essential commodities, all Indian citizens are advised not to travel to the Rakhine state of Myanmar,” said the advisory issued by the external affairs ministry.
“Those Indian citizens who are already in Rakhine state are advised to leave the state immediately,” the advisory said.
Last week, India had expressed concern at the violence and instability in Myanmar on the third anniversary of the 2021 coup by the junta and said developments there have direct implications for the security of the country.
The remarks by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came hours after Myanmar’s military rulers extended a state of emergency that has been in place since the coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
