British Government cautions visitors to Sri Lanka

(August 02, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Following the defeat of the LTTE, the British government has fully revised its advice to visitors. The advice emphasize new menacing phenomenon of Sinhala extremism which has overtly taken over the terrorism of the LTTE that ruled the country for twenty five years. The advise states: ‘Travellers should note that the end of the military conflict has seen an upsurge of nationalism in Sri Lanka. As a result, anti-Western (particularly anti-British) rhetoric has increased, including from senior Government figures. This has led to violent protests against the British High Commission and other diplomatic premises. Although no protests have so far been directed at the British community more generally, you should be vigilant and avoid demonstrations.’

Travel Summary

* We advise against all travel to the north of Sri Lanka. This includes all areas north of the A12 road connecting Puttalam in the west with Trincomalee in the east. It does not include Anuradhapura or the spit of land to Kalpitiya west of Puttalam.
* We advise against all but essential travel to most parts of eastern Sri Lanka, including the districts of Batticaloa (all areas), Trincomalee (rural areas), and Ampara (north and eastern areas). We do not advise against travel to the following areas in the east: Trincomalee Town, including the A6 road corridor to Trincomalee; Block One of Yala National Park; areas of Ampara District south of the A4 road including Arugam Bay; areas of Ampara District, west of the A25 and A27 roads.
* The conflict between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or “Tamil Tigers”) ended in May 2009. All territory in Sri Lanka is now under Government control. However, politically-motivated violence, abductions and criminality persist throughout the country, particularly in the north and east. The Government maintains its State of Emergency, under which it has extensive anti-terrorism powers. Heightened security measures including checkpoints are expected to remain throughout the country. Always carry formal photographic identification with you. Detentions do occur, particularly of people of Tamil ethnicity. If you are detained, you should ask the authorities to contact the British High Commission.
* The end of the military conflict has seen an upsurge of nationalism in Sri Lanka. As a result, anti-Western (particularly anti-British) rhetoric has increased, including from senior Government figures. This has led to violent protests against the British High Commission and other diplomatic premises. Although no protests have so far been directed at the British community more generally, you should be vigilant and avoid demonstrations.
* The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6. The WHO website at: www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html as further details. You should also monitor local media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page on the FCO website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/swine-flu . Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk .
* The Government of Sri Lanka has introduced surveillance measures at Katunayake (Bandaranayake) International Airport. On arrival in Sri Lanka travellers from affected countries (including the UK) should be prepared to be asked questions or be checked for symptoms by medical staff. Travellers suspected of having A (H1N1) will be admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Angoda for compulsory quarantine, testing and treatment. Travellers should be aware that transfer from the IDH to a more modern and better equipped private facility will not be permitted for those with suspected or confirmed H1N1. Travellers should consult their healthcare provider before travelling to Sri Lanka.
* There is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka. Although foreign tourists and visitors have not been targeted in the past, attacks have occurred in places frequented by foreigners. Attacks have continued in 2009 and have affected a variety of targets including government and military sites and public gatherings. Although the LTTE has suffered a military defeat further terrorist attacks may occur. See the Terrorism section of this advice for more details.
* The majority of visits are incident free, although there are an increasing number of incidents of credit card fraud, road accidents and drownings. You should wear a seatbelt when travelling by road and use credit or debit cards only in reputable establishments (e.g. major hotels). Take local advice before bathing in the sea. A number of tropical diseases are also prevalent, including dengue fever, Chikungunya and rat fever (Leptospirosis). Cases of dengue fever in particular have risen sharply in recent months.
* About 94,000 British nationals visit Sri Lanka each year (source: Sri Lanka tourism board). The main types of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in 2008 were: replacing lost or stolen passports; deaths, mostly from natural causes; and arrests or detentions.
* We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) page of this advice and the Travel Insurance page of the FCO website for more details. We also recommend that British nationals resident and/or working in Sri Lanka, or visiting for over one month, should register with the British High Commission in Colombo.

Safety and security

Terrorism

There is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. For more general information see the Terrorism Abroad page of the FCO website.

The conflict between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, commonly known as the “Tamil Tigers”) ended in May 2009. The LTTE has traditionally combined guerrilla warfare with terrorist attacks on government and civilian targets. Although the military conflict has ended the LTTE is likely to retain some capability to mount terrorist attacks.

Although the conflict is over, the Government has extended the State of Emergency, under which it has extensive anti-terrorism powers. Heightened levels of security (e.g. checkpoints, road blocks) are therefore likely to be maintained for the foreseeable future. You should exercise a high level of vigilance. The risk for the most part is one of being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order to minimise this, you should avoid military, government and paramilitary locations. Always carry formal photographic identification with you. Stop and show your ID when asked to do so. If you are detained, you should ask the authorities to contact the British High Commission.

Fatal attacks have occurred throughout the country, including Colombo and other areas frequented by foreigners. Since the beginning of 2009 at least 50 civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks across Sri Lanka. Most attacks have been directed against Government and military targets though a number have been focussed on civilian targets such as crowded public places, public transport and market areas. Some of the most significant recent attacks include:

* On 10 March 2009 a suicide bomb attack at a political gathering in Akuressa, near Matara, resulted in 14 deaths and a number of injuries.
* On 21 February 2009 21 civilians were shot dead in a village in rural Ampara district.
* On 20 February 2009 an LTTE air raid on military targets in Colombo resulted in four deaths and injured a further 12.
* On 9 February 2009 a suicide bomb attack in an IDP centre in Mullaithivu district killed eight civilians and 20 soldiers.
* On 2 January 2009 a suicide bomb attack near the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Air Force in Colombo resulted in three deaths and injured a further six.

Crime

Credit card fraud is the most common type of crime affecting visitors. It is advisable to use cash wherever possible and to use ATMs attached to banks or major hotels. Do not let your credit card leave your sight when you use it. Some travellers experience problems using their credit / debit cards on arrival in Sri Lanka when their banks’ automated fraud protection system blocks transactions. It may be useful to inform your bank in advance of your intended travel arrangements. If your card is blocked, you will need to contact your bank to re-activate it. There are plenty of money changers in tourist areas if you want to change cash.

Violent crimes against foreigners are relatively infrequent, although there have been reports of sexual offences and muggings. When travelling around Sri Lanka, you should make arrangements through reputable travel companies (such as those identified in your guidebook or local listings information) and exercise appropriate caution. Women should take particular care when travelling alone and carry personal alarms. For more general inforamtion see Rape and Sexual Assault Abroad.

There has been an increase in the number of reported thefts from hotels and guesthouses. You should take sensible precautions to safeguard your valuables, especially passports and money.

For more general information see Victims of Crime Abroad.

Political Situation

As stated in the Summary, the conflict between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in May 2009.

Travellers should note that the end of the military conflict has seen an upsurge of nationalism in Sri Lanka. As a result, anti-Western (particularly anti-British) rhetoric has increased, including from senior Government figures. This has led to violent protests against the British High Commission and other diplomatic premises. Although no protests have so far been directed at the British community more generally, you should be vigilant and avoid demonstrations.

There have been a number of “hartals” (widely enforced general strikes) and curfews, particularly in the north and east. You should avoid political gatherings or demonstrations. You should follow local news and maintain a high state of vigilance during such events

Foreign nationals have been detained by the police after taking photographs of buildings or vehicles used by VIPs. These include numerous sites in central Colombo. Use of video and/or photography is prohibited near military bases and government buildings.

Local Travel

We advise against all travel to the north of Sri Lanka. The Government has recently concluded an intense military campaign against the LTTE in the north. Parts of this area are heavily land-mined and it is possible that pockets of LTTE cadres remain. Violence could break out in these areas with little or no warning. The High Commission is very limited in the assistance it can offer visitors to this area. For the purposes of this travel advice we consider the north to be all areas north of the A12 road (which runs from Puttalam in the west to Trincomalee in the east). This includes the Jaffna peninsula, but does not include Anuradhapura or the spit of land to Kalpitiya west of Puttalam.

We advise against all but essential travel to the eastern Sri Lankan districts of Batticaloa, Trincomalee, and Ampara. The security situation across the east is volatile. Violent incidents and paramilitary activity are frequently reported, especially at night. This includes incidents of shootings, abduction, and civil unrest. Foreigners have not previously been targeted, but there is a risk that British nationals could become involved in an incident through being in the wrong place at the wrong time. British Nationals of Sri Lankan origin or descent should exercise particular caution.

Travellers should note that we do not advise against travel to the following areas in the east: Trincomalee Town, including the A6 road corridor to Trincomalee; areas of Ampara District south of the A4 road, including Arugam Bay; areas of Ampara District, west of the A25 and A27 roads.

We do not advise against travel to the Yala National Park, but you should ensure that any visit is on an officially approved tour that visits only “Block one” of the park, (in practice, most organised tours only visit this area). A number of security incidents have occurred since 2007 in “Block two” to “Block five” of the Yala National Park (the outlying areas of the park) and these areas remain closed to visitors. You should not attempt to visit Blocks Two - Five.

Many rural areas in the north and east are heavily land-mined. Always obey signs warning about the danger from land-mines and do not step off main roads.

-Sri Lanka Guardian