India issues advisory against travel to Myanmar's Rakhine
India has issued a travel advisory warning its citizens against visiting Myanmar's troubled Rakhine province due to ongoing intense clashes between rebels and the military.
The advisory, released by the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday, strongly recommends that Indians residing in Rakhine immediately evacuate the province.
The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) cited the deteriorating security conditions, disruptions in telecommunications, including landlines, and a severe shortage of essential goods as reasons for the advisory.
It explicitly stated, "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."
In recent months, areas of Myanmar sharing borders with India, Bangladesh, and China have experienced a significant surge in violence, posing the most significant challenge to the military junta's rule since the ousting of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in February 2021.