India issues advisory against travelling to Myanmar’s Rakhine state amid escalating crisis

Amid the escalating tensions in Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a directive, urging Indian citizens to refrain from travelling to the Rakhine state. If reports are to go by, the MEA advised Indians currently residing in the Rakhine state to also evacuate the area as soon as they can.

In an official release, the MEA highlighted the deteriorating security situation, disruptions in telecommunications, including landlines, and a severe scarcity of essential commodities as key factors prompting the advisory. The statement stressed the critical need for Indian citizens to avoid travel to the Rakhine state and advised immediate departure of those already present, considering the challenging conditions prevailing on the ground.
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Last week, India expressed its concerns regarding the worsening situation in Myanmar and called for a swift resolution to the conflict. This prompted the MEA to issue an advisory and ask citizens to exercise caution and vacate the Rakhine state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also recently announced a significant decision to fence the entire 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border. This move is expected to effectively terminate the Free Movement Regime (FMR) that currently allows individuals living near the border to traverse 16 km into each other's territory without documentation.

The border, passing through Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, currently operates under the FMR, and was introduced in 2018 as part of India's Act East policy. Shah, in a social media post, affirmed the government's commitment to fortifying national borders and outlined plans for constructing a fence along the entire Indo-Myanmar border. Additionally, a patrol track will be laid along the border to enhance surveillance capabilities.

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The advisory from the MEA regarding the Rakhine state aligns with India's broader strategic move to strengthen border security, especially in the wake of the escalating tensions in Myanmar. The country has been grappling with widespread protests demanding the restoration of democracy since the military coup on February 1, 2021. Notably, the Rakhine state, along with several other regions, has witnessed intense clashes between armed ethnic groups and the ruling junta since October of the preceding year.
The heightened hostilities have raised concerns in New Delhi, particularly regarding the security of Manipur and Mizoram. With the Myanmarese military resorting to airstrikes against opposition forces, the situation remains grim, prompting India to take proactive measures to safeguard its citizens and secure the border region.