Security situation in Myanmar remains “precarious”, “deteriorating,” says MEA as Indian Embassy staff relocated from Sitwee to Yangon

Amid the ongoing fighting in the Rakhine state and other areas, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that Indian embassy is “actively monitoring” the security situation in Myanmar that remains “precarious and deteriorating” and has issued advisory warning Indians on safety protocols.

Underlining that an advisory was issued sometime back for Indian nationals so that they can take due care, the official spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal said, “The security situation in Myanmar remains precarious and deteriorating – you heard about the fighting that is going on in the Rakhine state and other areas.”

“We had issued sometime back an advisory for our nationals so that they can take due care and we want them to be safe, as also regarding the Indians travelling to Myanmar so that they can observe proper safety protocols and take care of themselves, while we are able to take care of them, as the embassy is there to take care of them,” Jaiswal said during the weekly press briefing on Thursday.

He also said that India Embassy has relocated staff from Sittwe Consulate to Yangon.

“We have relocated our Embassy staff from Sittwe to Yangon. (Indian) Consulate in Mandalay remains functional,” Jaiswal said.

On being asked about reports about three boys from Uttar Pradesh were allegedly abducted in Myanmar, the MEA spokesperson said, “Our embassy is seized of the matter. They are working on it. Hopefully, they will be able to get them out, repatriated, and returned –they will come back home.”

“In the past also, as and when Indian nationals who have had problems in Myanmar, one way or the other…whenever they have reached out to the embassy we have acted proactively, and we have got the help of local authorities so that our nationals can come back home,” he added.

In a recent development, around 200 Myanmar soldiers have withdrawn to the so-called Friendship bridge connecting the border town of Myawaddy to Thailand amid a relentless assault by anti-junta resistance forces on Thursday, reported Al Jazeera.

The generals that overthrew the government in a coup in February 2021 and then started an armed insurrection after using force to quell nonviolent anti-coup demonstrations are under increasing strain, as evidenced by their retreat.

The ethnic armed group directing the offensive on Myawaddy, the Karen National Union (KNU), in a statement on Facebook said that its fighters had routed the town’s lone major military force, the 275 battalion, early on Thursday morning, reported Al Jazeera.

Additionally, it released images of weaponry that it claimed to have taken after the soldiers left.

Notably, a fresh uptick was noticed in incidents of violence in Myanmar recently. This came after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive last October, capturing some towns and military posts. The experts called it the ‘biggest test’ for junta since taking power in 2021.

This also led to a huge influx of people from Myanmar into the state of Mizoram along the Indo-Myanmar border after the Myanmar army launched airstrikes in the bordering areas.

Myanmar marked the third anniversary of the military coup on February 1, where the military seized power in a coup three years ago.