Vietnam Travel Warning

Issued by U.S. State Department

Feb 12, 2001

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi reports that the provinces of Daklak and Gia Lai in the Central Highland areas of Vietnam have been the scene of ethnic minority protests during the past week. American citizens are urged to defer travel to these provinces at this time. Protests have stopped traffic on roads leading to Buon Ma Thuot and Pleiku. Vietnamese authorities have advised foreigners not to travel to these provinces at this time and that flights into the area may not be available. In addition, hotels in Pleiku have reportedly been ordered closed to foreigners until February 15, 2001. Yok Don National Park in Daklak Province, Vietnam's largest wildlife reserve and a major tourist destination, has been closed until further notice.

For further information, U.S. citizens planning to visit or reside in Vietnam are advised to consult the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet for Vietnam. The Consular Information Sheet is available at any U.S. embassy or consulate abroad and through the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet home page at http://travel.state.gov.

U.S. citizens planning to visit or reside in Vietnam are also encouraged to visit the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi or the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City upon arrival in order to register and obtain the most current travel and security information. The Consular Section of the Embassy is located at 6 Ngoc Khanh Street, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam, tel. 011 (84-4) 831-4590. The Consulate is located at 4 Le Duan Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, telephone 011 (84-8) 822-9433.

This Public Announcement expires on April 8, 2001.