MEA issues advisory to Indian Nationals to leave Rakhine state

New Delhi: The Ministery of External Affiars has issued an advisory to Indian Nationals saying that they should not travel to Rakhine region in Myanmar.

The MEA release says, '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.'

It further says, 'Those Indian citizens who are already in Rakhine State are advised to leave the State immediately.'

Since the military coup in 2021, the Army that rules Myanmar, is locked in internal battle with ethnic minority groups. The conflict escalated in October 2023, when three ethnic minority groups launched a coordinated campaign against the rule of the Myanmar military. In December last year, over 150 military personnel crossed the border to escape persecution and entered India’s Mizoram province, forcing India to express concerns and ask for an early resolution to the issue.

Infiltration of both Myanmarese military personnel and civilians has led to tensions in border regions in India's north east. Presently there is a free movement regime enjoyed by both citizens to enter 16 km of each other’s territories without visas for two weeks.

India shares a 1,643 km long mountainous border passing through Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. India has already sealed a 10 km stretch in Manipur’s Moreh region with permission to fence.

The security situation in the state has been a cause of concern since May last year after deadly violence erupted between two big ethnic communities of Manipur.