[Marinir] TRAVEL ADVISORY DOUBLE STANDARDS EXPOSED

[Yap Hong Gie]

---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Travel Impact Newswire" <imtiaz at travel-impact-newswire.com>
To: "Travel Impact Newswire" <imtiaz at loxinfo.co.th>
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 6:57 AM
Subject: TRAVEL ADVISORY DOUBLE STANDARDS EXPOSED

786/110

TRAVEL IMPACT NEWSWIRE -- Edition 39 -- Thursday, 14 July 2005

25 Years of Distinction in Travel Journalism. Winner, PATA Gold Award for
Travel Journalism, 2005.

Circulation has now crossed 25,000 worldwide, 80% in the Asia-Pacific and
Middle East. Quality, not quantity, in terms of both readership and content.

- From Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, in Bangkok

In this dispatch :

1. TRAVEL ADVISORY DOUBLE STANDARDS EXPOSED:
Three websites of the US, UK and Australian governments which issue travel
advisories were monitored after the July 7 blasts.
As of July 13, neither the US nor the Australian websites were warning 
against travel to the UK. Instead, they and the UK website had detailed advisories
warning against travel to "parts of" Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and
numerous other countries in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Middle East and Latin 
America.
The double standards are so blatant that the travel industries of the 
developing countries should seriously consider joining forces in protest - 
if they and some of the international travel organisations of which they are dues-paying members can muster the guts.

===================

1. TRAVEL ADVISORY DOUBLE STANDARDS EXPOSED

When the bombs went off in London on July 7, 2005, the first thing this
editor did was to start monitoring the websites listing travel advisories.
My objective was simple: To seek proof to back up long-standing complaints
by the developing countries that travel advisories are one-sided, unfair,
hypocritical and biased. Three advisory issuing websites were monitored: the
US, UK and Australia. The bias was so blatant that the travel industries of
the developing countries should seriously consider joining forces in
protest -  if they and some of the international travel organisations of
which they are dues-paying members can muster the guts.

As of July 13, neither the Australian nor the U.S. websites were
discouraging travel to the UK. However, both these as well as the UK
websites were continuing to feature advice discouraging their citizens from
travelling to "parts of" Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, based on alleged
'credible threats' of terrorist attacks. And Tony Blair told the House of
Commons on 11 July 2005: "I know of no intelligence specific enough to have
allowed (the UK police and intelligence services) to prevent last Thursday's
attacks. By their very nature, people callous enough to kill completely
innocent civilians in this way, are hard to stop."

Which raises the question: If the UK government doesn't have enough quality
intelligence to protect its citizens at home, what is the quality of
intelligence that justifies issuing travel advisories supposedly to protect
them from terrorism abroad?

Inspite of the various statements by senior UK police authorities that more
attacks were likely, neither the US State Department nor the Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade contained even the slightest
reflection of those warnings on their websites featuring information about
the London bombings.

A public announcement by the State Department
[http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_uk.html] did not discourage
Americans from travelling to London. Another website
[http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html] contained a list
of countries that "the State Department recommends that Americans avoid".
The UK was not on that list.

According to the UK newspaper, The Guardian
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1527400,00.html],
the US on July 12 lifted its ban on service personnel travelling to London
after high-level exchanges involving ministers and America's most senior
military officer in Europe. It rescinded the ban after a bout of what
defence officials called "ear-twisting" by the media.

General James Jones, the commander of US forces in Europe, who ordered the
ban to be lifted, was quoted by the Guardian as saying: "While all personnel
are encouraged to be vigilant, we cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated
by the acts of terrorists. All US personnel are encouraged to continue with
their normal routine."

The Australian travel advisory website
[http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/United_Kingdom] said
merely: "Australians in the United Kingdom are advised to exercise caution
and monitor developments that might affect their safety. A series of
terrorist bomb attacks occurred on 7 July on the transport system of central
London and British authorities have warned that further attacks cannot be
ruled out. You should be vigilant and watch the media for information about
possible new safety or security threats."

By comparison, the advisories against Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand gave
the impression that the terrorist 'threat' was worse in those countries than
in the UK.

This is what the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website
said about INDONESIA in an advisory issued on Thursday, 09 June 2005 but
still called valid as of 13 July 2005:

"Australians are advised to defer non-essential travel to Indonesia.
Australians in Indonesia who are concerned for their safety should consider
departing. Australians who consider their presence in Indonesia to be
essential should exercise extreme caution. The recommendation that
Australians defer non-essential travel applies to Indonesia as a whole,
including Bali. The bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy on 9
September 2004 underscores that the threat to Australians in Indonesia is
real.

"We continue to receive a stream of credible reporting suggesting that
terrorists are in the very advanced stages of planning attacks in Indonesia.
Attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Indonesia and could be directed
at any locations known to be frequented by foreigners.

"Recent credible reporting suggests that international hotels frequented by
Westerners in Jakarta are being targeted in current terrorist planning.
Public statements by the Indonesian National Police (POLRI) that security
has been increased at a number of Jakarta hotels due to the potential for
terrorist attack underline that international hotels are a target. This
follows a POLRI warning of May 2005 about possible further suicide bombings
in Jakarta, identifying as potential targets other places frequented by
foreigners, in particular embassies, international schools, office buildings
and shopping malls.

"Australians are advised to avoid all travel to Aceh and Maluku province,
particularly Ambon. Australians in Aceh and Maluku should depart.

"We continue to receive reports that terrorists may be planning attacks
against foreigners involved in the tsunami relief effort in Aceh and other
parts of northern Sumatra. In view of these security concerns Australians
should not travel to Banda Aceh or other parts of Aceh to participate in
humanitarian relief efforts unless under the auspices of a recognised aid
organisation that has facilities in place to accommodate and feed staff and
a security plan approved by Indonesian authorities to ensure the safety and
security of its personnel. From 26 March 2005 all foreigners wishing to
travel to Aceh require written permission to do so prior to entry. In view
of the terrorist threat information, Australians in northern Sumatra should
ensure they have a robust security plan in place. We advise Australians not
associated with recognised aid organisations and who are not covered by an
approved security plan to depart in the interests of their own safety. All
Australians in Sumatra and Aceh should register with the Australian Embassy
via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on-line registration
service."

For MALAYSIA, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
advisory was issued on 22 June 2005 and still considered valid as of 13 July
2005. It said:

"Australians in Malaysia should exercise a high degree of caution,
particularly in commercial and public areas known to be frequented by
foreigners. The risk of terrorist attack against Western interests in
Malaysia remains.

"Australians are advised to avoid all travel to coastal resorts, islands and
dive sites off the east coast of Sabah. We have received credible reports
that terrorists are planning kidnapping attacks targeting resorts frequented
by foreigners. Terrorists have in the past kidnapped foreigners from the
eastern part of mainland Sabah, and from the islands and sea off its east
coast. Kidnapping attacks in other parts of coastal and off-shore Sabah
cannot be ruled out.

"Australians intending to travel overland from Malaysia to Thailand should
be aware of the travel advice for Thailand which recommends that travellers
defer non-essential travel to the far southern Thai provinces of Yala,
Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla, including deferring non-essential overland
travel from and to the Malaysian border through these provinces."

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office also had an advisory on INDONESIA
which was "updated' on 8 July 2005 (the day after the London bomb) and still
considered valid as of 13 July. It said:

"We advise against all travel to Aceh, except for those involved in
post-tsunami humanitarian and reconstruction work under the auspices of a
recognised aid organisation that has a security plan approved by the
Indonesian authorities to ensure the safety and security of its personnel.
Parts of Aceh remain affected by a long running internal conflict with the
possibility of armed clashes. An aid worker was shot and injured while
travelling at night in West Aceh on 23 June. Relief agencies should check
the local security advice of the UN Office for Crisis and Humanitarian
Affairs in Banda Aceh.

"We advise against travel to some parts of Maluku, especially Ambon, and
some parts of Central Sulawesi, which are experiencing civilian unrest. At
least 22 people were killed in a bomb attack in Central Sulawesi on Saturday
28 May.

"There remains a high threat from terrorism in Indonesia. We continue to
receive reports that terrorists in Indonesia are planning further attacks on
Westerners and Western interests. Attacks could occur at any time, anywhere
in Indonesia and are likely to be directed against locations and buildings
frequented by foreigners.

"The Indonesian Police are on a state of high alert in Jakarta, and have
deployed additional personnel around the city, including additional security
arrangements for embassies.

"Terrorists have shown in previous attacks, like the attack on the
Australian Embassy, the Marriott Hotel, Jakarta and the Bali bombings, that
they have the means and the motivation to carry out successful attacks."

For THAILAND, the advisory was updated on 04 July and considered still 
valid as of 13 July. It said:

"There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Thailand, particularly in
the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla. We
recommend against all but essential travel to these four provinces where,
since January 2004, there have been regular attacks including bombings and
shootings. On 3 April 2005, three bombs exploded in Songkhla Province, 
one at Hat Yai International Airport, one at a hotel and one in a shopping
centre. Further attacks against places frequented by foreigners could occur
at any time."

Similarly strongly worded advisories containing all kinds of warnings about
travelling in a number of Asian and African countries are contained in all
the websites of the US, UK and Australian foreign affairs offices. But in
the case of the London bombings, they are all highly circumspect.

My question to the private sector industry leaders and public sector
officials in the advisory-hit countries of Asia-Pacific is thus: What are
you going to do about this obvious double standard? For years, you have
complained bitterly about being at the receiving end of these highly
damaging advisories, and bent over backwards to assure foreign visitors,
especially from UK, US and Australia, of their safety and security.

Now, you have 1) the UK prime minister admitting that they didn't have
enough intelligence about these blasts in his own country, and that they
can't be prevented anyway; 2) the US and Australia saying nothing about the
dangers of travelling to the UK; and 3) the US, UK and Australia continuing
to play up 'security threats' in many of the developing countries.

So I repeat the question: Do you sense a double standard here? And if so,
what do you plan to do about it? Is it time for the travel industries of the
developing countries to demand the same transparency and accountability 
here that has been demanded of us for years?

If we plan to take no action, then please let's take the issue of travel
advisories off our desks and don't complain when the next bomb hits our
countries, which will be followed invariably by more travel advisories from
the US, UK and Australia discouraging their people from travelling here.

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