The UK has advised its Myanmar citizens to leave the country

The government of the United Kingdom on Friday recommended its citizens of Myanmar to leave the country “unless they have an urgent need” to stay there, because of “tensions”. and the “heightened levels of violence” after the February 1 military coup.

In its travel advisory, London underlined that since that date “the army declared a state of emergency and took control of it” and recalled that “members of the civil government, civil society and a foreigner have been arrested”.

“The army has ordered a nighttime Internet blockade, several Internet platforms have been blocked, and information on tampering with the Internet and telephone networks is available.“, He declared, before adding that” access to money is more and more difficult due to the closure of banks and out-of-service ATMs “.

“If you cannot leave Myanmar at the moment, it is recommended that you stay at home and in a safe place. If you have to leave your home for essential reasons, you have to do it quickly and avoid the crowds, ”he stressed.

Finally, said “the military has extended the suspension of commercial flights until May 31,” while explaining that “the airport is open and some” assistance “flights are available for those looking to leave Burma “. “Most of them can be booked,” he advised.

The UK’s recommendation came hours after UN Special Rapporteur in Myanmar Tom Andrews accused the military of committing crimes against humanity in the “brutal response to protests” outside the United Nations Human Rights Council and even before the coup.

The coup took place shortly before the new parliament took office, following the November elections, in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) of then de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was won by a large victory, amid allegations of fraud by a party linked to the armed forces.

The coup was followed by a wave of protests that left dozens dead and hundreds detained, as the international community called on the military to respect the right to protest and return power to civilian authorities .

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