Asia

Burma (Myanmar): 1 Million Displaced, as Many as 100,000 Killed by Cyclone Nargis

Date: May 8th, 2008 |

Unless on a humanitarian mission with an official aid organization, now is not the time to go to Burma after the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis. Asia’s worst storm since 1991 pummeled the Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon, killing at least 22,000 people with estimates as high as 100,000 and displacing at least 1 million. The [read more]

India: Campaign for Gorkhaland May Disrupt Travel to Darjeeling

Date: May 8th, 2008 |

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A campaign for a new state called Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling region caused a West Bengal minister to warn tourists not to travel to the area, stating that demonstrations would disrupt travel, create shortages of drinking water and cause power cuts. A spokesman for the political party behind the Gorkhaland campaign dismissed the warning as [read more]

Cambodia: Flotilla of Beggars Troubles Officials in Chong Kneas

Date: April 23rd, 2008 |

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A visit to the floating village of Chong Kneas is a popular side trip from Siem Reap, the jumping off point for Angkor Wat, but its popularity has created perhaps predictable consequences. Local fishermen have found begging to be more lucrative than fishing and they now swarm around the tourist boats in vessels with outboard [read more]

Tibet: China to Retain Restrictions on Foreign Tourists

Date: April 17th, 2008 |

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Chinese officials did an about-face on their decision to reopen Tibet to foreigners May 1, saying that the region and its capital, Lhasa, will remain closed until further notice, probably at least until the Olympic torch passes through Tibet and possibly until the end of the Olympic Games. This decision does not affect Chinese tourists, [read more]

Tibet: China Will Reopen Tibet to Foreign Tourists May 1

Date: April 10th, 2008 |

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Chinese officials announced April 4 that Tibet will be reopened to foreign tourists May 1 after a six-week closure because of protests that led to a police crackdown in which between 18 and 14o people died. The government said 18 had been killed in Lhasa but the Dalai Lama’s government in exile said 140 had [read more]

China: Visa Rules Tightened for Olympics Period

Date: May 8th, 2008 |

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The Foreign Ministry acknowledged that it has tightened visa rules after weeks of denials from immigration officials, now requiring invitation letters, hotel reservations and proof of roundtrip air tickets for some travelers. There have been reports of foreigners, especially students, being forced out of Beijing, and other travelers and foreign embassy officials having trouble getting [read more]

China and Tibet: Lockdown in Lhasa; Interpol Worries about Attacks in Beijing

Date: May 1st, 2008 |

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The Chinese government announced a lockdown on the Tibetan capital of Lhasa from May 1 to June 20 to prevent any disruption of the Olympic torch parade through Tibet. Residents of surrounding counties have been ordered not to enter the city, including farmers who would normally come to Lhasa to sell their produce, and all [read more]

China: Diqing Tibetan Region Reopens to Foreigners

Date: April 17th, 2008 |

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While Tibet remains closed to foreign tourists, the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan province reopened to all visitors April 10 after being closed for almost a month. The region is home to the tourist resort of Shangri-la, a place formerly known as Zhongdian but renamed in 2001 to cash in on the fabled secret [read more]

Laos: First Railroad Set to Open

Date: April 10th, 2008 |

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Laos is about to get its first railway, a humble 2.17-mile line crossing from the Thailand-Laos Friendship Bridge toward the capital Vientiane. It may be short but it will connect landlocked Laos with seaports in Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Many plans are afoot with France and China to expand the railway through central [read more]

China/Tibet: Tensions Remain High in Lhasa

Date: April 2nd, 2008 |

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Facing international censure over its repression of dissent in Tibet and in heavily Tibetan areas of Gansu province, the Chinese government is doing its best to blame the recent protests on the Dalai Lama while showing that the situation is calm in Lhasa. It allowed foreign diplomats in for a tightly-controlled two-day visit but did [read more]