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US warns to its citizens travelling to Sri Lanka
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by senthil5000 | June 28, 2009 at 11:21 am
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US warned its citizens who are travelling to Sri Lanka about the current situation in the country. Though the Sri Lanka government claims the war is over, there is a continuous instability. There are high crime due to pro government parlimentarians in many places. The particular areas identified as unsafe are Anuradhapura District of the North Central Province; the areas north of Medawachchiya; the A14 road; and the road from Medawachchiya and Horowupatna.
The United States warned American citizens traveling to or living in Sri Lanka about the potential for continued instability, including possible terrorist attacks, although the Sri Lankan government has defeated the terrorist group Tamil Tigers.
The Department of State warns that "despite the conclusion of hostilities, remnants of the insurgency group remain. The Government of Sri Lanka's security posture remains heightened."
In the June 26th travel warning, the US Department of State urges American citizens to evaluate carefully the risks of travel to Sri Lanka and specifically warns Americans against travel to the Northern and North Central Provinces including Anuradhapura and most of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka due to the presence of uncleared land mines and the possibility of renewed insurgency.
Warning that armed paramilitaries remain active in the Eastern Province and Consular assistance to American citizens detained in the north and east may be significantly delayed, the advisory said travel to all of the Northern Province remains potentially unsafe.
The areas in particular included "Anuradhapura District of the North Central Province; the areas north of Medawachchiya; the A14 road; and the road from Medawachchiya and Horowupatna."
Non-official travel by U.S. Government personnel to the Eastern Province, other than the A6 road corridor and Trincomalee Town in Trincomalee District and areas in Ampara District south of the A4 road and west of Maha Oya, is prohibited, the alert said.
"Travel in some parts of the country remains highly restricted by the Sri Lankan government, with particular sensitivity concerning the large number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps," it further added.
The travel advisory also urged the Americans to comply with all instructions from security forces and police when traveling in Sri Lanka.
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senthil5000
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 15:01 on June 28th, 2009
I wouldn't be in a rush to travel to Sri Lanka as a tourist. There are plenty of other places to see.
at 20:36 on June 28th, 2009
"I wouldn't be in a rush to travel to Sri Lanka as a tourist."
How about as an aid worker / NGO worker sponsored by someone?
at 02:36 on July 3rd, 2009
ooooh,
There's no place other like what Sri Lanka has to offer - so little and so much to give.
Rush or not be in paradise.
C
at 16:30 on June 29th, 2009
In the history of the 25 year war, there have been no incidents of foreign tourists being subjected to terror attacks. The war was completely limited to the North and the East, and apart from lots of checkpoints and the occassional bombing of a minister or a commercial target, the rest of the country has been almost boringly normal. This is no Afghanistan or Iraq and is certainly safer than downtown New York.
In my opinion, there is nothing to fear for American tourists as long as,
1. They don't use a tourist visa to work in Sri Lanka, either for NGOs or for the media without a permit. Sri Lankans are encouraged to report such people.
2. You don't travel to the North and (to a lesser extent) the East. There's no reason for an ordinary tourist to go to the North anyway, unless they are also in violation of Rule 1. Stick to the beaches, hotels and temples and you'll be just fine.
3. You don't violate other laws, particularly in relation to sexual abuse of children. Contrary to what you may heard, we don't go easy on foreign paedophiles. Don't worry too much about personal drug use as long as you don't sell them.
4. You are not an American of Tamil origin. These people may be subject to additional scrutiny and suspicion which is to be expected from a country recovering from 25 years of Tamil terror. Canadian and European Tamils are particularly suspect due to their funding of the Tamil Tigers.