Bangladesh
The government formed a special force to protect tourists, starting the service in Cox’s Bazar Sea Beach, a popular area with what is claimed to be the world’s longest sandy beach. The beach runs almost 80 miles. Authorities plan to expand the Tourist Police to other tourist spots and the capital, Dhaka.
Kuwait
Kuwaiti authorities arrested members of an Al Qaeda-linked group that was planning bombings during Ramadan, which began Aug. 21. The arrests prompted the U.S. Embassy to warn Americans in Kuwait to remain especially vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
Peru
Masked gunmen robbed a group of 12 foreign tourists on their way to Manu National Park in the Tres Cruces area of the Cuzco region Aug. 16. The bandits struck the driver with their weapons and threatened the tourists, taping their hands and stealing cash, valuables and electronic equipment before leaving them unharmed. The Manu reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Peru’s largest national park. In other news, angry residents of Pisco shut down part of the Pan American Highway on Aug. 15 to protest the government’s lack of action two years after the region suffered a devastating earthquake. About 25 percent of the reconstruction the government promised has been completed, and 40,000 people are still living in tents or prefabricated shacks.
Tanzania
The U.S. State Department warned against non-essential travel to Pemba Island of Zanzibar until mid-December because of possible violence related to voter registration for next year’s general election. The number of security forces has been increased on Pemba, particularly in the districts of Wete and Micheweni, where civil unrest has occurred since voter registration began in July. Voter registration on Pemba should end Dec. 14.
Turkey
Not many tourists will strip naked and shout insults at the statue of a revered national leader, but the 19-year-old British man who did so in front of the Ataturk statue in Marmaris punished by deportation and banishment for five years. Turkish law calls for imprisonment for Turks who insult Ataturk, and action for foreigners also can be swift. Checked at a hospital to see if he was mentally unstable, the man was deemed healthy, then was put in jail for several hours until a special court heard his case and deported him. A witness to the outburst said the man was lucky police arrived quickly because the locals wanted to kill him.
———-
Compiled from various news services and travel sources. For the latest on world conditions, check the State Department’s automated service at 888-407-4747; fax, 202-647-3000; travel.state.gov.
