Travel warnings rattle Southeast Asia<\/p>\n
Grant Peck, Associated Press, Bangkok, Thailand<\/p>\n
Government travel advisories, usually footnotes for nervous
\ntourists, have become front page headlines after the bombing in
\nBali, which claimed almost 200 lives.<\/p>\n
Several countries from North America to Europe to Asia are now
\nadvising against all nonessential travel to Indonesia. Some are
\neven suggesting that neighboring countries such as the
\nPhilippines and Malaysia may not be so safe either.<\/p>\n
The message is unanimously clear: Stay away!<\/p>\n
After Saturday night's terrorist attack, many governments were
\nquick to advise against travel to Bali, and over the past few
\ndays have extended their warnings to cover all of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department on Monday warned Americans to defer
\ntravel to Indonesia, saying the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta "has
\nreceived information that indicates extremist elements may be
\nplanning additional attacks targeting U.S. interests in
\nIndonesia."<\/p>\n
Warnings were also issued earlier this year for the
\nPhilippines, home to Communist and radical Muslim rebellions, and
\nparts of eastern Malaysia, where people have been kidnapped by
\nal-Qaida-linked militants.<\/p>\n
Citing a general threat of terrorism, Australia strengthened
\ntravel warnings Thursday for five Southeast Asian countries -
\nLaos, Cambodia, East Timor, Malaysia and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
These countries are seen as either strongholds of Muslim
\nextremists or suffering from lax security.<\/p>\n
Australia, which had the highest number of dead in the Bali
\nbombings, upgraded its warning Thursday to recommend that its
\ncitizens depart Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"The decision to amend our travel advice is based on
\ndisturbing new information of generic threats to Australians and
\nAustralian interests in Indonesia," Foreign Minister Alexander
\nDowner said in a statement. He did not give details.<\/p>\n
Downer urged Australians who choose to stay in Indonesia to
\nexercise extreme caution, particularly in commercial and public
\nareas known to be frequented by foreigners such as clubs,
\nrestaurants, bars, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreation
\nevents and tourist areas.<\/p>\n
Similar advice has been given by other governments.<\/p>\n
The Canadian foreign ministry warned its citizens not to
\ntravel to Indonesia unless "strictly necessary."<\/p>\n
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on
\nThursday updated its advice about travel to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"We advise against all travel" to Bali and Aceh, another
\nhotspot in western Indonesia, it said. As for the rest of the
\ncountry: "Defer all tourist and nonessential travel. Short term
\nvisitors whose presence is nonessential should depart."<\/p>\n
Finland, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Hungary, the Czech
\nRepublic, Sweden, Slovakia, and the Philippines are among the
\nother countries that have recommended against travel to
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Now concerns have surfaced about other Southeast Asian
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
In Taipei, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Chang Siao-yue said
\nTaiwanese should exert caution when they travel to any country in
\nSoutheast Asia.<\/p>\n
Taiwanese were also urged not to travel to the southern
\nPhilippine city of Zamboanga where two bombs exploded Thursday,
\nkilling five people and injuring more than 100 others.<\/p>\n
Australia was specific in its warnings about Malaysia and the
\nPhilippines. In Malaysia, Australians should "avoid any large
\npublic gatherings," the government said.<\/p>\n
The warning for the Philippines noted that "kidnappings have
\noccurred in major cities and tourist destinations where kidnap
\ngangs have specifically targeted foreigners."<\/p>\n
Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has toughened its
\nadvisory about Indonesia twice since the blast.<\/p>\n
British citizens should not travel to Indonesia and those
\nalready there should consider leaving, Foreign Secretary Jack
\nStraw said Thursday.<\/p>\n
Straw announced that the Foreign Office was withdrawing some
\nnonessential staff and dependents from its embassy in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"Britons who remain should exercise extreme caution,
\nespecially in public places," Straw told reporters. "We shall
\ncontinue to keep the travel advice to Indonesia and to other
\ncountries in the region under review."<\/p>\n
Another advisory from the Foreign Office also strongly
\ncautioned against travel to areas of the Philippines where
\nbombings and kidnappings of foreigners have taken place.<\/p>\n
"Whilst most visits are trouble-free, British nationals should
\nremain vigilant throughout the Philippines for spontaneous crime
\ndriven by poverty, and for serious crime including planned
\nabduction by organized gangs or extremists," it says.<\/p>\n
Even Thailand, culturally and geographically removed from much
\nof the trouble surrounding Muslim extremism, comes in for a
\nwarning.<\/p>\n
The British Foreign Office said it believes that "Thailand is
\none of a number of countries where there is an increased threat
\nto visible British institutions and organizations from global
\nterrorism."<\/p>",
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