The UK government has issued a travel advisory, recommendingthat British citizens avoid traveling to nine regions and states in Myanmar,including northern Rakhine State, where military conflict has erupted in theaftermath of the military coup.
The advisory, which offers travel guidance for Britishcitizens, was issued by The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office(FCDO) on September 18. The nine regions and states include Mon State, KachinState, Chin State, Kayah State, Karen State, Northern Rakhine State, SagaingRegion, Magway Region, and Northern Tanintharyi Region.
it also urged their citizens to avoid or limit travel to ShanState, Mandalay Region, Southern Tanintharyi Region, Central Rakhine State, andSittwe District, unless the trip is absolutely necessary or essential.
The statement also mentioned that following the military coup,the security situation in Myanmar is unpredictable and subject to abruptchanges without prior notice.
U Pe Than, a political analyst specializing in Rakhinepolitics, provided his perspective on the statement that encompasses the travelban to northern Rakhine State.He commented, "While Northern Rakhine may berelatively stable at the moment, there is a prevailing concern that conflictcould erupt unexpectedly. Hence I interpret this as a securityprecaution."
U Pe Than reiterated to Narinjara that, given the globalawareness of the military conflict in Myanmar through media reports, it hasbecome a standard practice for concerned nations to issue travel advisories,primarily done to prioritize the safety of their citizens.
He contrasted the example of foreign countries issuing traveladvisories to protect their citizens abroad with Myanmar regime.
"In othercountries, they prioritize the protection of their citizens. However, in ourcountry, the government has consistently failed to safeguard its people. Whenour citizens encounter trouble abroad, they are left without protection,embassies are unable to assist, and even worse, there have been instances ofharm to our own citizens. These include artillery attacks, village burnings,and the unjust labeling of people as enemies. To maintain their grip on power,it has become a recurring pattern to subject the populace to torture, threats,and intimidation. These issues have persisted since the military coup. Thegovernment in our country does not act as a guardian; it is perceived more asan adversary. A true government, like a caring parent, should prioritize thewelfare and protection of its people," he emphasized.
The FCDO also stated that the country is still grappling withpersistent issues such as airstrikes, artillery shelling, the looming threat oflandmines, and ongoing armed conflicts and violent attacks occurring throughoutthe nation.
Furthermore, the FCDO has cautioned that these attacks havethe potential to affect innocent civilian bystanders, even in areas commonlyvisited by foreign nationals, such as hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, andserviced accommodation complexes.
On January 16, the UK government's FCDO issued a traveladvisory, advising against travel to numerous regions within eight regions andstates in Myanmar.