Vietnam evacuates 400 more citizens from Myanmar

Vietnam has repatriated nearly 400 more citizens stranded in northern Myanmar due to conflict, after repatriating more than 1,000 people in the first batch.

In the second evacuation, nearly 400 Vietnamese citizens stranded in northern Myanmar due to armed conflict were brought home by road in the early morning of December 30, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement today.

After two waves, a total of nearly 1,400 Vietnamese people were evacuated from Myanmar, with the entire cost of repatriating citizens being covered by the Vietnamese government . Vietnam also assisted in the evacuation of a Nepalese citizen from Myanmar.

A group of Vietnamese citizens were brought back to the country on December 4. Photo: International Newspaper — A group of Vietnamese citizens were brought back to the country during the evacuation on December 4. Photo: *International Newspaper*

Vietnamese citizens stranded in Myanmar are mostly young people, including teenagers, infants and pregnant women, who went abroad to work in online gambling establishments in northern states of Myanmar and were abandoned by their employers.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that citizens be alert to invitations to go abroad for "easy work with high salaries" that do not require qualifications or skills, do not require a signed contract, and do not go through businesses or labor sending organizations, to avoid becoming victims of labor exploitation, human trafficking, or illegal residence.

The Brotherhood Alliance, a group of rebel groups, launched Operation 1027 in late October, attacking a series of Myanmar military bases in Shan State, an area near the border with China, marking the largest attack by rebel groups against Myanmar's military government since the 2021 coup.

The fighting has prompted other rebel groups to join the attack on the government. The conflict in Myanmar has lasted for weeks, spreading to the east and west of the country.

Given the complex developments of the conflict, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Vietnamese citizens do not travel to these areas and follow instructions from the embassy and local authorities. If you are in an area where fighting is likely to break out, you should proactively evacuate people and property and contact Vietnamese authorities if you need assistance.

Vietnamese citizens who are still stranded or need help, please contact the hotline:

- Embassy of Vietnam in Myanmar: +959660888998, email: [email protected]

- Citizen Protection Hotline of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: +84 981 84 84 84, +84 965 41 11 18, email: [email protected]

Duc Trung

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