Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Tue, 21 Jul 1992 15:14:56 PDT
From:         "Indonesia Publications/Task Force" <apakabar@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      BU: Burma Travel Advisory
X-To:         seasia-l@msu.edu

/* Written  8:15 am  Jul 20, 1992 by 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM in cdp:rec.travel
 */
/* ---------- "*NEW* TRAVEL ADVISORY -- Burma" ---------- */
STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL ADVISORY - Burma
============================================================
BURMA - WARNING
July 17, 1992

Summary:  The Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling
to Burma to defer all travel to the highland areas and to exercise
caution in the rest of Burma.  Occasional political unrest and
insurgent activity in the highland regions continue.  Unrest in the
delta region has abated.  Air travel within Burma is not safe and
U.S. citizens are urged to avoid all travel on Myanmar Airways.  All
tourist travel must be government approved, but can now be arranged
through private travel agencies.  End Summary.

Travel to Burma is for the adventuresome:  Roads are poor and
trains are prone to accident or delay.  Myanmar Airways (formerly
Burma Airways Corporation) has a poor safety record.  No Burmese
Airport has instrument landing capability, and the hazards are
especially high during the prolonged rainy season, which is from May
to November.  While security conditions in tourist areas of Burma
are generally good, political discontent continues and armed
security forces are much in evidence.  A curfew is currently in
effect from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m..  Insurgents remain active in the
Burmese highlands along the northern borders.  Last year, there were
a series of battles in the delta, southwest of Rangoon, but there
has not been any recent activity.  Foreigners are usually denied
access to areas of potential unrest and American citizens are
advised to defer all travel to highland areas.

Visitors should exercise extreme caution, especially in taking
photographs.  Photographing any uniformed person, military
installation, bridge, airport, or even apparently innocuous official
premises can lead to arrest.  Crime has not been a major problem,
although there are occasional reports of pick pocketing.

The Burmese Government is not issuing individual tourist visas at
present.  All tourist travel must be in organized groups and
approved by the Burmese Government in advance.  Tours can be
arranged either directly with the government travel service or
through a number of private travel agencies which have recently
begun doing business.  The maximum tourist visa is for 14 days.

Burma tightly controls the import and export of foreign currency,
national currency, artwork, antiques, and legally controlled goods.
An American businessman was arrested in 1991 for trying to leave
Burma with a few pieces of locally and legally obtained jewelry.  It
is extremely difficult to obtain valid export permits for items
acquired in the brief stay permitted to tourists.

Americans planning trips to Burma are encouraged to check for
possible late breaking developments before traveling by calling the
Citizens Emergency Center of the Department of State (tel.:
202/647-5225), the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, (tel.:
252-5040, ext. 2212), or the Embassy in Rangoon, Burma (tel.:
82055, ext. 320).

No.92-145

This replaces the travel advisory issued on January 11, 1992, to
reflect that tours to Burma can now be arranged through private
travel agencies, and that the delta region has not had any recent
activity by insurgents.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU