Travel warnings rattle Southeast Asia

Travel warnings rattle Southeast Asia

Grant Peck, Associated Press, Bangkok, Thailand

Government travel advisories, usually footnotes for nervous tourists, have become front page headlines after the bombing in Bali, which claimed almost 200 lives.

Several countries from North America to Europe to Asia are now advising against all nonessential travel to Indonesia. Some are even suggesting that neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia may not be so safe either.

The message is unanimously clear: Stay away!

After Saturday night's terrorist attack, many governments were quick to advise against travel to Bali, and over the past few days have extended their warnings to cover all of Indonesia.

The U.S. State Department on Monday warned Americans to defer travel to Indonesia, saying the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta "has received information that indicates extremist elements may be planning additional attacks targeting U.S. interests in Indonesia."

Warnings were also issued earlier this year for the Philippines, home to Communist and radical Muslim rebellions, and parts of eastern Malaysia, where people have been kidnapped by al-Qaida-linked militants.

Citing a general threat of terrorism, Australia strengthened travel warnings Thursday for five Southeast Asian countries - Laos, Cambodia, East Timor, Malaysia and the Philippines.

These countries are seen as either strongholds of Muslim extremists or suffering from lax security.

Australia, which had the highest number of dead in the Bali bombings, upgraded its warning Thursday to recommend that its citizens depart Indonesia.

"The decision to amend our travel advice is based on disturbing new information of generic threats to Australians and Australian interests in Indonesia," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement. He did not give details.

Downer urged Australians who choose to stay in Indonesia to exercise extreme caution, particularly in commercial and public areas known to be frequented by foreigners such as clubs, restaurants, bars, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas.

Similar advice has been given by other governments.

The Canadian foreign ministry warned its citizens not to travel to Indonesia unless "strictly necessary."

New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday updated its advice about travel to Indonesia.

"We advise against all travel" to Bali and Aceh, another hotspot in western Indonesia, it said. As for the rest of the country: "Defer all tourist and nonessential travel. Short term visitors whose presence is nonessential should depart."

Finland, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovakia, and the Philippines are among the other countries that have recommended against travel to Indonesia.

Now concerns have surfaced about other Southeast Asian countries.

In Taipei, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Chang Siao-yue said Taiwanese should exert caution when they travel to any country in Southeast Asia.

Taiwanese were also urged not to travel to the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga where two bombs exploded Thursday, killing five people and injuring more than 100 others.

Australia was specific in its warnings about Malaysia and the Philippines. In Malaysia, Australians should "avoid any large public gatherings," the government said.

The warning for the Philippines noted that "kidnappings have occurred in major cities and tourist destinations where kidnap gangs have specifically targeted foreigners."

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has toughened its advisory about Indonesia twice since the blast.

British citizens should not travel to Indonesia and those already there should consider leaving, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Thursday.

Straw announced that the Foreign Office was withdrawing some nonessential staff and dependents from its embassy in Jakarta.

"Britons who remain should exercise extreme caution, especially in public places," Straw told reporters. "We shall continue to keep the travel advice to Indonesia and to other countries in the region under review."

Another advisory from the Foreign Office also strongly cautioned against travel to areas of the Philippines where bombings and kidnappings of foreigners have taken place.

"Whilst most visits are trouble-free, British nationals should remain vigilant throughout the Philippines for spontaneous crime driven by poverty, and for serious crime including planned abduction by organized gangs or extremists," it says.

Even Thailand, culturally and geographically removed from much of the trouble surrounding Muslim extremism, comes in for a warning.

The British Foreign Office said it believes that "Thailand is one of a number of countries where there is an increased threat to visible British institutions and organizations from global terrorism."