India has temporarily moved its consulate staff from Sittwe to Yangon in view of the increased tensions in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, said Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday.
“The security situation in Myanmar remains precarious and deteriorating,” Jaiswal said during a press conference. “You heard about the fighting that is going on, specifically in Rakhine state and other areas. Some time back, we issued an advisory for our nationals so that they could take due care.”
He also warned Indians travelling to Myanmar “to observe proper safety protocols and take care of themselves”. Jaiswal said that the Indian government was closely monitoring the security situation in the neighbouring country.
In February, fighting between armed rebels and Myanmar’s army in Sittwe, where India has built a port for connectivity to its landlocked northeastern states via the Bay of Bengal.
The militia is fighting the military junta that came back to power after a coup in February 2021. In October last year, the militia expanded its offensive and captured areas along the border with Mizoram.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Karen National Union, an ethnic minority armed group, told CNN that they have seized the last remaining military base in the southeastern town of Myawaddy with nearly 200 soldiers having been pushed to the Number 2 Friendship Bridge linking Myanmar to Thailand following.
Hundreds of refugees subsequently crossed over to Thailand, reported Reuters. Civil society group Karen Peace Support Network said that at least 2,000 people have been displaced within Myanmar by the latest round of fighting between the rebels and the military.
Thailand’s military has tightened its security along a western border town adjoining Myanmar.
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