Former Soviet Union Is Still Processing Visas

World Travel Watch is a monthly report designed to help you make informed judgments about travel. Because conditions can change overnight, always make your own inquiries before you leave home. In the United States, contact your passport agency office; abroad, check in with the nearest American embassy. Commonwealth of Independent States

Due to intense fighting in the capital city of Tbilisi, all travel to the republic of Georgia in the former Soviet Union should be avoided at this time. It’s still too early to tell how the breakup of the Soviet Union will affect arrangements for travel to the the Commonwealth of Independent States and the various other newly independent republics. Currently, visa applications are still being processed at Soviet consulates, Intourist continues to function as the official Soviet tourism agency and visas issued by the Soviet Embassy in Washington are being honored throughout the former U.S.S.R. All of this could change in a matter of days or weeks, however, and anyone considering travel there should contact the Russian Travel Bureau at (800) 847-1800.

Mexico

Mexico City is experiencing a severe winter of air pollution, with levels so high that the government has been forced to implement an environmental emergency plan to cut industrial activity. Travelers to Mexico City should follow local reports closely to determine the health risks, and should refrain from strenuous outdoor activities.

According to a Dec. 4 report in the San Francisco Chronicle, a cholera epidemic has reached to within 12 miles of Acapulco’s famous resorts and is being kept quiet by government officials for fear of damaging the city’s vital tourism industry. Mexico health officials have denied the allegations of a cholera outbreak in the Acapulco area. According to the Chronicle, some doctors are reluctant to speak on the record about the problem for fear of being blacklisted by the health ministry for future government-subsidized medical work. A U.S. State Department official contacted last week in Acapulco also denied the report.

Asia

India: Travel in the Punjab region, especially on public transportation, should be undertaken with caution. A band of Sikhs recently boarded a train and killed at least 49 Hindu passengers in an ongoing display of separatist violence by Sikhs seeking an independent homeland. Parliamentary elections are planned for February in the Punjab, but similar elections scheduled for last June were canceled because of such violence.

Bangladesh: Violent demonstrations have occurred on university campuses in recent weeks. Travelers should be aware of the possibility of crackdowns on such demonstrations and should avoid them.

Southeast Asia

Myanmar: Government troops recently cracked down on demonstrators in Rangoon who were demanding freedom for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition, rebel attacks recently occurred within 50 miles of Rangoon. Further unrest is possible. Exercise caution and avoid all travel to highland and delta regions because of intensified insurgent activity.

Africa

Rwanda: Hostilities between the Rwandan army and Rwandan exiles from Uganda are likely to continue disrupting travel to northern Rwanda. The fighting occurs along the Uganda border, including areas around Volcano National Park and Akagera Game Park. Rwanda’s famous mountain gorillas live in Volcano National Park, and travel there at any time could be delayed by several days.

Tanzania: This country recently lifted sanctions on air travel to South Africa. Thus, travelers no longer need to worry about having evidence of prior travel to South Africa in their passports. Previously, any evidence of travel to South Africa in a foreigner’s possession, including air tickets for a South African carrier, was grounds for barring the traveler from the country.

Sierra Leone: Travel should be avoided to areas bordering Liberia due to intensified fighting between Liberian rebels and the Sierra Leone military.

Togo: A conflict between troops loyal to deposed ruler Gnassingbe Eyadema and the transitional multiparty government has created a tense situation in the capital city of Lome. Violence is possible. Defer travel here at this time.

Europe

Turkey: A wave of political violence occurred in Istanbul in late December, including the firebombing of a department store by Kurdish rebels demanding independence for Kurdish regions in southeastern Turkey. Exercise caution.

Caribbean/Central America

Haiti: Travel here should be deferred due to the ongoing political and economic crisis brought about by the coup that forced President Jean-Bertrand Aristide into exile.

Jamaica: A typhoid outbreak in Westmoreland Parish, which was reported last year, has been contained. While typhoid is endemic to Jamaica, travelers no longer face a special risk in this district.

Honduras: Due to minefields left over from the Contra war along the Nicaraguan border, and to the activities of bandit groups and guerrillas along the border with El Salvador, travelers are advised to enter Honduras by air. For those who must enter overland, border stations are open only during daylight hours. Expect lengthy searches. Street crime has increased in urban areas, and valuables should never be left in vehicles.

South America

Venezuela: Cholera has been reported in western Venezuela, marking a further spread of the epidemic that began a year ago in Peru and now reaches from Chile all the way to Mexico.

Peru: The powers of the military to fight a war against leftist rebels have been widened, and about half the country is now under a state of emergency. Despite such efforts, guerrillas recently cut the power supply to much of Lima by blowing up electrical towers on the outskirts of town, a common practice the last several years. Travel to Peru should be avoided at this time.

For more information on safety concerns in countries you may be visiting, contact the Citizens Emergency Center, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520, (202) 647-5225.