Narinjara news


JAPANESE TOURIST WITH MYANMAR VISA BARRED FROM TRAVELLING WITHIN MYANMAR  FOR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS

Sittwe, 9^th January 02:   Though the State Peace and Development Council Junta of Myanmar have opened up Myanmar for foreign tourists,  the western state of Rakhine has been carefully kept off-limits for the foreign tourists visiting the country, says our correspondent from Sittwe, capital of Rakhine State.
On 21^st December 2001,  a Japanese tourist, Nakamura alias Nibuyuki (37), was stopped at Ann, Check-post No. 25, and barred from going into Rakhine State.  It is learnt that, he was on his way to celebrate Christmas at Kyauktaw, the northern town of Rakhine State close to southern Chin State.   He was accompanied by six Myanmarese Christians with him.  They were in a green-coloured Toyota Dyana, No. 3B/9494.  The names of the persons were, 1. Naw Ni Ni Lay (27)   2. Naw Ni Lay Wei (19)   3.  Naw Pho Hsay (61)   4. Naw Hla Yein Sein(45)   5.  Naw Christine Khine (16)   6.  Saw Tun Tun Pho  (35).
Though all of them were Christian Karen nationals of Myanmar, they were not allowed to attend a Christmas celebration in Kyauktaw by the military guards at the check-post.
Mr Nakamura produced his passport and Myanmar visa and travel permit issued by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism from Yangon.  Yet he and his group were not allowed to travel to Rakhine state.
Nakamura is a director of Japan Asian Network Co. Std who came to Myanmar on 29^th October 2001 and he was denied entry into Rakhine State because of his failure to produce the clearance of 'respective authority' which, according to a source in the Myanmar military is none other than the  ubiquitous "Military Intelligence".  At the end, Mr Nakamura with deep dissatisfaction had no other choice left than take the trip back to where he came from,  a befitting welcome to foreign tourists by the SPDC junta
 indeed!    #