To suppress bad media coverage, Burma suspends its visa-on-arrival program
Filed under: Burma
Topics covered : Bad Politicians, Evil Governments, The Travel Business
When I traveled across Burma a few years ago, getting a visa involved a maddeningly complex series of visits to the embassy in Bangkok. I tried to do it myself, but ultimately caved to convenience and paid a middleman on Khao San Rd. to handle the paperwork (and wait in line). It took a few days.
Earlier this year, to get their hands on more foreign cash by way of tourists, the Burmese government introduced visas on arrival. Visitors were still required to enter via Yangon, but at least they could just show up. While it’s super-convenient for travelers, such freedom prevents the government from keeping their famously close tabs on foreign visitors. It may explain why I’ve recently seen a number of stories from travelers who managed to explore regions that were strictly off-limits when I was there.
Seems that Burmese officials saw those stories, too, and they’re not happy. They’re also not keen to have nosy outsiders snooping around with their cameras and notepads during the November election season. From The DVoB:
Burma will next month stop its newly introduced visa-on-arrival scheme two months prior to controversial elections. The move, due to come into play on 1 September, means that foreigners looking to visit the country will have to apply for visas at local embassies, which can take weeks to process and are heavily vetted by Burmese authorities.
The visa-on-arrival scheme was introduced in May this year in an attmept to boost tourist numbers – total tourism arrivals in Burma during the fiscal year 2009-2010 stood at 300,000, up from 255,288 a year earlier. But the sudden change is being widely seen as an attempt by the ruling junta to block foreign media and observers from entering before and during the elections, slated for 7 November…
“We think the real motive for this measure could be to prevent outside reporters and monitors from entering the country ahead of the 7 November elections,” a private tour operator told Reuters.
Burma’s so-called visa ‘blacklist’ is notorious among foreign media, activists and aid workers, with reporters known to be critical of the junta regularly banned from entering.
The Burmese government is one of the world’s worst, second only to North Korea in terms of systemic domestic abuses. Yet despite long-standing economic sanctions, they’re not having much trouble thriving. Thanks to Barclays Bank, recently fined $298 million for helping these scumbags out. Thanks to the Indian government, eager to roll out the red carpet for Burma’s top general and negotiate deals for cheap natural gas. Thanks to countless more companies and governments only too happy to deal with these monsters.
In case I haven’t made it clear, I’m 100 percent in favor of traveling to Burma. I don’t support the traveler boycott urged by many activist groups. At the risk of sounding like a crunchy dick, I believe in the power of cross-cultural pollination. My time in Burma was inspiring, enlightening and just plain awesome. Despite the 20-hour bus rides and chronically warm bottles of beer.
If you have the chance to visit Burma, do it. Even if the visa process is complicated and off-putting. Just tell them you’re an English teacher on vacation. And hide your camera, laptop and cellphone deep in your bag.
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