America announces withdrawal of its non-essential diplomats from Myanmar

SANAA, March 31 (YPA) – The United States announced, on Tuesday, that it had ordered its non-essential diplomats in Myanmar to leave.

This step comes after the killing of more than 500 civilians by the security forces in this country, since the protests began against the military coup, which overthrew the civil government of Aung San Suu Kyi two months ago.

The US State Department said, in a statement, that after it “authorized on February 14 the voluntary departure of non-essential US government employees and their family members, today it is ordering them to leave.”

According to a US State Department spokesman, this decision was taken “because the safety of US government employees and their family members, as well as the safety of American citizens, is the department’s top priority,” according to the Associated Press.

“The US embassy in Myanmar will remain open to the public, and will continue to provide limited consular services,” the spokesman said.