Singaporean among foreigners evacuated from Myanmar on Thai government flight: MFA

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean was among the foreigners evacuated from the town of Laukkaing in Myanmar, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Monday (Nov 20).

The group was on a flight organised by the Thai government to evacuate its citizens, said the ministry in response to queries from CNA. 

“MFA had been working closely through our Embassies in Yangon, Bangkok, Beijing, and Consulate-General in Guangzhou, with the relevant authorities to evacuate the Singaporean. 

“The Singapore government would like to express its appreciation to the Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities for facilitating the safe evacuation and departure of the Singaporean from Laukkaing,” it added. 

Myanmar’s military junta is facing its biggest test since taking power in a 2021 coup after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October, capturing some towns and military posts.

The Thai foreign ministry said on Sunday that a group of 266 Thais and an unspecified number of Filipinos and Singaporeans were being evacuated from Laukkaing in northern Shan State to the Myanmar-China border with help from the Myanmar authorities.

The group will be permitted to enter China and will then travel from the Chinese city of Kunming on two chartered flights to Bangkok where they will undergo screening for human trafficking and any criminal records, according to a Reuters report. 

Thai authorities have said that some trapped in Myanmar were victims of human trafficking and some might be involved with telecom fraud gangs.

The evacuation comes after a separate group of 41 Thai nationals were repatriated by land after a coordination between the Thai authorities and Myanmar army.