Due to the worsening security situation, India issued a travel advisory to its citizens on Tuesday, telling them not to visit Rakhine State in Myanmar.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asked Indians not to make trips to the Rakhine state in its first advisory following the uptick in violence due to the current circumstances, which include a telecommunications network outage and a shortage of basic supplies. All Indian citizens are urged not to travel to the Rakhine State of Myanmar due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation, change of telecommunications, including phone lines, and severe shortage of necessities, the statement stated.
Since the military overthrew the government in a coup on February 1, 2021, many violent protests calling for the restoration of democracy have been taking place throughout Myanmar.
Since October of last year, there has been intense fighting between armed ethnic communities and the Myanmarese military in Rakhine State and many other areas. Since November, there has been a sharp increase in hostilities between the two sides in a number of significant Myanmarese towns and areas close to the Indian border, which has alarmed New Delhi with concerns about potential consequences for the security of Manipur and Mizoram. The military of Myanmar has been employing airstrikes against its adversaries and those engaged in armed resistance against the governing authority.
Myanmar, one of India’s key neighbors, borders several northeastern states, including the militancy-plagued states of Nagaland and Manipur, over 1,640 kilometers. India demanded last week that all forms of violence be put to an end and that the nation move toward an inclusive federal democracy.
On Tuesday, India issued an advisory to its citizens not to travel to neighboring Myanmar and to leave the unrest-plagued Rakhine state, which borders Manipur and Mizoram, immediately after announcing that it would create a wall its entire international border along Myanmar. The Indian nationals were also advised to leave the unrest-plagued state by the Ministry of External Affairs.
After independence, the FMR was created as a way for tribes on both sides of the border to stay in touch with their people. In its current configuration, the FMR allows entry without a visa or passport.
The FMR may be terminated, a move that Mizoram and Nagaland oppose since their tribes are related and live on the other side of the border.
To allay the fears of Indian citizens residing close to the border, the Center appears eager to erect at least a minimal physical barrier along the border, despite pro-democracy insurgents fighting the Myanmar Junta directly across the border.
