Asia

South Korea: Government Takes Harder Line on Protesters

Date: July 10th, 2008 |

For more than two months Koreans have been protesting the resumption of U.S. beef imports in largely peaceful demonstrations in Seoul, but in late June the rallies became increasingly unruly, prompting authorities to state on June 29 that they would crack down on violent protesters. They began using water cannons and fire extinguishers to block [read more]

Tibet: Tibet Reopens to Foreign Tourists

Date: June 25th, 2008 |

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Now that the Olympic torch has passed through Lhasa, Chinese authorities have reopened Tibet to foreign tourists, saying the torch’s successful journey has shown that Tibet is stable enough for foreign visitors. Officials closed Tibet to all tourists after anti-Chinese riots broke out in Lhasa March 14, but allowed domestic tourists back in on April [read more]

India: Gurkha Party Forces Tourists Out of Darjeeling, Shuts Down Transit

Date: June 11th, 2008 |

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Despite assurances to the contrary, the separatist group Gurkha Janamukti Morcha, which is demanding a separate state in the popular West Bengal hill region that includes Darjeeling, has brought tourism to a halt with an indefinite strike that not only is stopping visitors from getting in, it’s prevented tourists from getting out. The group gave [read more]

Indonesia: U.S. State Department Lifts Travel Warning

Date: May 28th, 2008 |

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The U.S. State Department lifted its almost eight-year travel warning for Indonesia citing improvements in the security situation following the government’s disruption, arrest and conviction of numerous terrorists. Terrorist threats remain, however, and the State Department has not changed its recommendations for security precautions, which include keeping a low profile, being vigilant at all times, [read more]

Burma (Myanmar): Relief Effort Hindered by Junta

Date: May 14th, 2008 |

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The relief effort to help the tens of thousands in crisis after Cyclone Nargis was hampered by the ruling military junta’s refusing to allow large numbers of foreign aid workers into the country. The situation remains dire in the Irrawaddy Delta and travel to Burma should be deferred until the cris [read more]

Tibet: Foreign Tourists Welcome, but Not Everything Is Open

Date: July 10th, 2008 |

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Chinese authorities reopened Tibet to foreign tourists June 25, but key monasteries remain closed and it may be some time before everything returns to normal for foreign visitors. The main sites in Lhasa such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulinka are open, but important monasteries such as Drepung and Sera remain closed. In [read more]

China: Sichuan Reopens for Tourists

Date: June 19th, 2008 |

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Hoping to rejuvenate tourism in quake-battered Sichuan province, authorities officially reopened 13 cities and prefectures to tourists June 14. These cities are Dazhou, Guang’an, Leshan, Liangshan, Luzhou, Meishan, Nanchong, Neijiang, Panzhihua, Suining, Yibin, Zigong, and Ziyang. Of some 4,000 scenic areas in the province, 568 were damaged. The world heritage sites Mount Qingcheng, the Dujiangyan [read more]

India: Ethnic Gujjars Block Trains, Roads, in Rajasthan

Date: June 4th, 2008 |

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Thousands of ethnic Gujjar women blocked railway tracks in Rajasthan, causing the cancellation of 50 trains on the Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra routes and stranding some 40,000 passengers June 3. They are demanding that their community, which numbers some 50 million, be reclassified to become eligible for government jobs and quotas in schools through India’s affirmative [read more]

Malaysia: Tighter Security at Kuala Lumpur’s International Airport; Crackdown on Luggage Thieves at Hotels

Date: May 21st, 2008 |

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A specially trained police force is now patrolling Kuala Lumpur’s international airport in response to an armed robbery in April that saw bandits make off with $1 million worth of Singaporean currency. The robbers wounded five people when they held up two currency exchange workers. The new force of 141 officers is now on round-the-clock [read more]

China: Tens of Thousands Still Missing in Sichuan Earthquake

Date: May 14th, 2008 |

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The full impact of the devastating earthquake that hit rural Sichuan province about 60 miles from Chengdu, the capital, could take days if not weeks to determine. Cities near the epicenter, especially Dujiangyan, were devastated and tens of thousands of people are missing. Chengdu, a city of 11 million, escaped major damage and the airport [read more]