The Finnish government is concerned about the escalation of violence in Myanmar as a result of the coup in the Asian country last February. Therefore, it urges its citizens to leave the country as soon as possible.
"Due to the military coup on 1 February 2021, the situation in Myanmar is now deeply disturbing. On 29 March 2021, Finland together with the other Nordic countries raised the alert level of its travel advice, urging travellers to leave the country as soon as possible," the Ministry for Foreign Affairs said in a press release.
According to government information, the army and police in Myanmar have used violence in responding to large protests against the coup. Violence has intensified and escalated in the past few weeks. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands have become wounded. The number of detainees is several thousands. Both protests and the army’s efforts to quell them have mainly moved to residential areas, away from the main streets of cities. The protesters against the coup are also increasingly resorting to force against the security authorities.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the situation is "dangerous for foreigners staying in the country."
Finland condemned the coup
"The risk of outsiders falling a victim to violence has markedly grown. Due to extensive strikes, many functions in society have deteriorated. Banking sector and public healthcare services are very limited, and imports of goods have practically come to a halt. Finland has strongly condemned the coup and calls for a return to democracy. The violence perpetrated by the army against unarmed civilians is strongly condemnable," the Ministry added.
Reliable information about Covid-19 in Myanmar is not available because testing is almost non-existent. Individuals exiting the country have still been able to get tested.
The Finnish embassy in Yangon is following the situation closely and has been in touch with Finnish citizens staying in the country and advised them to leave.
