Stolen from another thread.....
Considering that I am going to China in a few weeks, this actually makes me feel good.
China bars Mideast passengers
Travellers from 19 nations banned from all state-owned airlines after American suicide attacks
scmp.com
CHOW CHUNG-YAN and RAVINA SHAMDASANI
South China Morning Post
Saturday, October 13, 2001
China has barred people from 19 Middle East and nearby countries from flying on any of its state-run airlines in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
An emergency notice has been sent out to major agencies telling them not to issue tickets to people from a list of countries including Israel, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
It also tells agencies to contact those from the list of banned countries who have been issued tickets and tell them they cannot fly with the airlines.
The notice describes the regulation as "strict but flexible" and suggests it might be waived under exceptional circumstances.
The notice is believed to have been issued worldwide. The China National Aviation Corp, which represents China's Civil Aviation Administration in Hong Kong, sent out the notice on October 4.
A copy seen by the South China Morning Post lists the countries involved. They are: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Sudan, Libya and Algeria. It also lists Palestine and "Pakistani [people] of unusual background".
The notice reads: "Tickets shall not be issued to people from these 20 (sic) countries again. Tickets already issued should be cancelled and fully refunded, or processed only after receiving confirmation from the local embassy or consulate.
"People from these countries shall be strictly controlled. But be flexible, consulting the local embassy or consulate to discuss how stringent it should be."
It said the decision was based on "regulations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Civil Aviation Department".
A China National Aviation Corp employee in Hong Kong admitted it had issued the notice, but said the decision was made by Beijing and it had "no idea of the rationale behind it".
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Administration in Beijing at first denied any such notice had been issued. When told the Post had obtained a copy, he said: "You have to tell me where you got that copy before I can comment."
A Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman denied it had issued any such regulation.
A Post employee of Middle Eastern origin called the National Aviation Corp ticket department yesterday, asking to buy a ticket to Shanghai, where the Apec meeting due to be attended by US President George W. Bush will be held on October 20 and 21.
The ticket saleswoman at first said there were seats available, but when she was told the buyer was from the United Arab Emirates she immediately said it could not issue a ticket to him. "Sorry. We have regulations . . . to take care of," she said. "We can't issue the ticket to you. We need to check your passport and visa."
State-run airlines, including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China, monopolise domestic flights on the mainland and account for a large percentage of flights into or out of the country.
The ban follows complaints from Pakistani officials in Hong Kong that their nationals were being refused visas to enter China from the SAR.
S. J. Raghbi, Pakistan Association member and president of the Human Welfare Services organisation for Muslims in Hong Kong, condemned the aviation bar on people of Middle Eastern origin.
"This is totally unfair. I understand the ban on Afghanistan because there is a war going on there, but Pakistan and other Muslim countries? What fault is it of theirs?" he asked.
Azmat Ali Ranjha, Consul-General of Pakistan, said: "We have not received any official word or any complaints about this. We have no comment."
Consuls from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt also said they had not heard from officials and could not comment. |
