Junta stops 50 young people from departing Yangon airport in single day

Junta officials stopped about 50 young people from departing Yangon’s international airport in one day as the military continues its efforts to control the number of citizens leaving for employment opportunities abroad.

Authorities under the ruling junta began preventing young adults from flying out of Yangon about three weeks ago in an attempt to halt the outward flow of citizens due to the civil war, economic downturn and military conscription.

In May, the junta temporarily banned all men from working abroad amid widespread public concern over the implementation of a military conscription law.

The 50 young people – between the ages of 23 and 35 – were denied departure on Aug. 19, even those with valid passports and travel histories, a Yangon resident told Radio Free Asia.

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A staff member at Yangon’s airport, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFA that travelers who hold Passport for Visit, or PV, documents were being scrutinized to determine if they were actually leaving for overseas jobs.

“Even if they have return tickets that were recently purchased, they still have to return to their homes,” he said. “They couldn’t do anything.”

The Yangon resident who was at the airport on Aug. 19 told RFA that authorities checked the travel history of all outbound passengers. 

“If an individual had no overseas travel history, if the passport was issued this year, or if they were carrying large luggage suggesting they might be going for an overseas job despite holding a PV, they were denied departure,” the resident said.

A young man who was denied departure at the airport told RFA that he and three others were turned away, even though they showed officials their hotel bookings and return flight tickets.

RFA attempted to contact junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun and Deputy Minister for Immigration and Population Htay Hlaing for comments, but they didn’t immediately respond.

Numbers of displaced persons

As battles for control of towns have intensified across Myanmar, more people have recently fled to major cities such as Yangon, Mandalay, and Taunggyi for safety, according to observers.

Displaced persons have reported being free from airstrikes but have also had to face higher commodity prices and apartment rentals, which have abruptly doubled in recent months.

In western Rakhine state, the number of internally displaced persons has surpassed 500,000, according to civil aid groups.

In northern Shan State, some local civil groups report that more than 100,000 people have been forced to flee due to intense fighting there since late June.

There are currently more than 3 million displaced people across Myanmar, according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released on June 31.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.