Philippines
By Larry Habegger | Permalink |
No Comments | August 14th, 2001 | Trackback
U.S.-Philippine military exercises, which are occurring through March 3, have prompted demonstrations in Manila, at the former Clark Air Force Base and Angeles City. Protests so far have been peaceful, but they are expected to continue and could become unpredictable. Keep a low profile.
Comments are temporarily disabled
Philippines
By Larry Habegger | Permalink |
No Comments | August 13th, 2001 | Trackback
Mayon volcano on the island of Luzon is erupting again, and further buildup signals more to come. Almost 50,000 people on the volcano’s flanks were evacuated Feb. 24.
A series of bus bombs, all on Super Five Express buses, killed 41 people Feb. 26 in the southern Philippines. The bombs are believed to have been placed by separatist rebels in Lanao del Norte province. Those rebels destroyed a Super Five Express bus in January. Consider avoiding this company’s buses.
Comments are temporarily disabled
Philippines
By Larry Habegger | Permalink |
No Comments | August 7th, 2001 | Trackback
Abu Sayyaf guerrillas continued their campaign of terror in Basilan, abducting 37 Filipinos Aug. 2 and later beheading ten. The rest were freed in the face of an army assault. Such violence by Abu Sayyaf and other guerrilla groups has made travel risky in the southern Philippines, but the central and northern portions of the archipelago are relatively safe, if you travel with caution and use common sense.
Comments are temporarily disabled
Philippines
By Larry Habegger | Permalink |
No Comments | August 6th, 2001 | Trackback
Fighting erupted Apr. 8 when the army began an offensive to dislodge rebels from five towns in Mindanao’s Lanao del Norte province. Some 100,000 people have fled the area. On nearby Basilan island, a rebel group known as Abu Sayyaf has been holding dozens of hostages for almost a month, and on Apr. 17 said they would kidnap and kill Americans in the future if the U.S. doesn’t release the men convicted of the World Trade Center bombing in New York.
Comments are temporarily disabled
Philippines
By Larry Habegger | Permalink |
No Comments | August 6th, 2001 | Trackback
21 hostages taken from the Malaysian island of Sipadan have been held in the jungles of Jolo in the Sulu Archipelago for more than two weeks by a Muslim separatist group, Abu Sayyaf. As the crisis dragged on the likelihood that the hostages would be rescued unharmed diminished. On the nearby island of Basilan, another hostage crisis continued, and on Mindanao, the Philippine military was in conflict with another Muslim separatist group in South Cotabato and Lanao del Sur. Travel to these regions should be avoided.
Comments are temporarily disabled
Philippines
By Larry Habegger | Permalink |
No Comments | August 1st, 2001 | Trackback
Two hostage crises in the southern Philippines have been in the news for weeks, but less prominent is the spate of bombings that has plagued Manila this month. Four blasts occurred between May 6 and May 22, one other bomb was defused, and a bomb threat was received at the residence of a U.S. Embassy employee but no bomb was found. New People’s Army rebels claimed responsibility for one attack, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is suspected of staging the others. Analysts fear that the conflict in the south is spreading to the capital and a state of emergency is imminent. On a positive note, the MILF has agreed to resume peace talks with the government on May 30 after suspending them last month.
Comments are temporarily disabled
Travel the World
- RTW Trip Planner
- Search Youth Hostels
- Cheap Air Tickets
- Travel Insurance Guide
- Travel Message Boards
- Adventure Travel
- Cheap Hotels
More WTW
Monthly Archives
BootsnAll Logues
TRAVEL THEMES
DESTINATIONS
SPORTS