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."