News: Burma issues visas-on-arrival at Yangon and Mandalay airports
By Naw Liang (London, United Kingdom)

Mai soong kha.
I had been hoping to post another article - a doozie still in the works - but this took precedent, even if it is not 'specifically Shan'. My initial reasons for posting resembled glee, but that sunshine quickly faded upon reading all the necessary (maybe commonplace is better?) detail that followed. Today's moral is: always read the fine print.

Burma announces "visas-on-arrival" for visitors from 1 May 2010
As reported in The Irrawaddy (see here), the Burmese government's immigration agency reported that it was now providing visas to all visiting foreign national from 1 May at Yangon and Mandalay International Airports upon arrival. The options (and charges) for such visas-on-arrival are:

• 28-day tourist and social visa (US$30);
• 24-hour transit visa (US$28); and
• 70-day renewable* business visa (US$40) (can be renewed at the respective ministry)

Unlike previously, when all visas had to be applied for and receive pre-travel approval from Burmese overseas embassies or representatives, the new visitor visa system allows prospective visitors to apply online or at airline offices up to two weeks prior to departure to receive their visa-on-arrival. Sounds great, but...

Apply before for a visa-on-arrival? I'm confused
Yes, it is confusing, and no, it is not what it 'says on the tin'. All visitors must pre-apply for visas-on-arrival (exactly as before), only now it will be done through travel agencies or tour companies (like some did before) instead of at Burmese missions or embassies (like others did). Also, all previous visa regulations - such as conducting only activities permitted by the visa, avoiding restricted areas, reporting movements within the country to township immigration and/or national registration offices and declaring sufficient funds (US$300 for individuals; US$600 for families) - still apply. Furthermore, those people with 'histories' may find themselves high & dry on arrival, and are advised to apply beforehand to avoid problems. And, as mentioned by a knowledgeable reader, there is no new information on the US$3 per day fine for overstaying.

While rules about registering through package tours and local travel companies still apply, increasing numbers of visitors to Burma arrive individually, having received clearance by themselves so that they might manage their own visit. It appears, however, that this might under threat, though my thoughts are merely conjecture. As it stands, the pre-application of a visa-on-arrival will place additional pressure on the relevant travel industry, which will be responsible for their foreign visitors (and any incidents, whatever that means) during their Burmese sojourn. Visiting foreign nationals will have to submit the same details to the travel companies as they would have for an embassy- or mission-obtained travel permit (personal data, passport information, travel itinerary (?), which the agents will then pass on to the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism for official approval. What follows resembles the system now: waiting, wondering and, fingers crossed, an official letter from the Ministry of Immigration and Population prior to take-off. It also doubles the 'investigation' into a prospective travel permit holder. Why? We can only guess.

Most crucial, the new pre-arranged visa-on-arrival increases costs for visitors. Tour and travel companies will most certainly charge for this added responsibility and administrative work, somewhere between US$35 to $50 for a service (as estimated by The Irrawaddy) that could take weeks. Furthermore, the new system does not - as no travel visa system could - ensure that all applications will be successful: foreign visitors could chose to challenge the pre-screening system and travel without the necessary pre-approval, resulting in messy discussions at Yangon's and Mandalay's International Airports; this would entirely be their own fault, but the ramifications could be substantial. Moreover, that is a situation where no one wants to be in or, officially, take responsibility for.

A final point
While the new system is bound to speed up the process - the beleaguered and skeleton staff of the Burmese foreign ministry are already swamped and/or disinterested - by placing responsibility on the tour company and not the Burmese government, it may signal the end of entirely independent travel to the country in some form. The addition of a second step, however privately controlled and, therefore, more efficient, also risks elongating an already slow process. Current systems inside Burma may be visibly lax or limited at times (as the cheap US$3 per day overstay fine indicates), but, to date, they have allowed for some creative travel choices by adventurous people eager to see the 'real Burma'. With more checks and balances, hoops and fees and involved parties, the possibility of increasingly travel inflexibility is high.

And that would be a definite step backwards - for all.

Kaung deh naw?

Naw Liang