As the Fall 2017 Voyage is now en route from India to Myanmar, Semester at Sea wishes to provide the following safety and security update relative to our five-day call in Myanmar from November 4-8. As always, we remain in regular contact with U.S. State Department officials’ proprietary intelligence sources.
It is noteworthy that both our port of call, Yangon, and our field program locations are distant from any areas of conflict and instability. While tensions remain high in Rakhine State’s northwestern townships amid ongoing security operations, the conflict there is localized and has not spread – nor is it anticipated that violence will spread beyond the immediate area. Our intelligence sources confirm that Yangon and areas that our field programs will visit are well traveled by tourists, quite secure, and very low risk to our participants. Additionally, the threat of terrorism is and remains low in Myanmar.
As a result, there continue to be no specific, direct, or real threats toward foreign travelers. Our sources confirm that very little, if any, impact will be evident to participants in and around Yangon and at all other Field Program locations.
Semester at Sea is committed to educating our students with the global understanding necessary to address the challenges of our interdependent world. To that end, the Fall 2017 shipboard community will continue the discussions of the rich culture and unfortunate challenges of Myanmar in the days to come, both in classes and during evening seminars. Specific in-country precautions will be outlined during the logistical pre-port meeting on November 3 and the shipboard community will welcome a U.S. State Department representative aboard the ship upon arrival in Myanmar the afternoon of November 4 for a diplomatic briefing. We believe that Myanmar will continue be a safe, transformational, and eye-opening educational opportunity for the Fall 2017 Voyagers.
