The UK Foreign Office has warned people against travelling to northern Shan state and tourist town Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay region following fighting between Myanmar’s military and rebels.
The FCO issued a warning against "all but essential travel" on August 17, two days after a coalition of armed groups mounted attacks on an army academy and other government targets in the region, killing at least 15 people.
Over the weekend, fighting spread northeast, reaching near Shan state’s largest town Lashio where an ambulance driver was killed in the clashes. The Taaung National Liberation Army, one of the members of the Northern Alliance coalition of insurgent groups, said it was unclear who was responsible for the attack.
The latest advice warns people against travelling to all areas of northern Shan state, within 10 kilometres of Pyin Oo Lwin, and along the Pyin Oo Lwin to Kyaukme road.
Local reports indicated civilian casualties, says the advice, adding that a “major bridge in Naung Cho was struck” and the military has closed roads and railways in the area.
“There is potential for further incidents in these areas with little or no warning,” states the FCO.
The US Embassy in Yangon has issued a travel warning for areas near the recent fighting and on Friday urged "restraint" from all sides in the conflict.
The FCO also warns against travel to Rakhine state, except its southern townships including Thandwe—home to attraction Ngapali beach—and Gwa.
Paletwa township, in southern Chin State, and Kachin state, except the townships of Myitkyina, Bhamo and Putao, are also on the list.
Dozens of tourists were flown from Lashio and Thibaw in northern Shan state to Yangon and Mandalay regions over the week, according to local media, and some cancelled their trips to the areas.
This is not the first time an outburst of violence has sent shivers through Myanmar’s tourism industry.
In August, 2017 Rohingya Muslim militants attacked police outposts, killing at least 12 government personnel and triggering a brutal military campaign that killed thousands and caused hundreds of thousands to flee to Bangladesh.
The crackdown drew international condemnation, which was followed by a bid to attract more visitors to the country in the form of rebranded tourism initiative “Myanmar, Be Enchanted.”
Six months later, fighting erupted between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army in the ancient Rakhine kingdom of Mrauk U, scaring tourists and sparking fears for its historical monuments.
