WHAT IF?
It’s 2021 and many travel restrictions have lifted, offering people the opportunity to finally vacation internationally or visit other countries for business. Although it may have seemed like COVID was the only big concern when considering foreign travel, political turmoil can be just as contagious, unpredictable, and deadly as a conventional disease. Whether it’s the 8888 Uprising in Burma, 2016 attempted coup in Turkey, or recent presidential assassination in Haiti, situations can often unfold with little to no ability to estimate how it’ll impact national stability or treatment of foreigners.
Despite whatever planning you may have thought was adequate and thorough, your overseas travel may put you in the wrong place at the wrong time with only local resources to assist you in seeking safe haven. If you were stuck in a country that was suddenly reduced to chaos and the political rhetoric on the ground shifted blame to people of your nationality, how would you deal with potentially being labeled as a threat to the local government? Risking capture could result in interrogation, imprisonment, or even death.
The Scenario:
SITUATION TYPE
Traveling abroad
YOUR CREW
Yourself
LOCATION
Southeast Asia
SEASON
Autumn
WEATHER
Humid; high 88 degrees F; low 63 degrees F
The Setup: You take a trip to Southeast Asia, a region you’ve traveled to many times in the past, to visit a plant that manufactures goods for your company. You plan to spend a few days visiting with your associates there, but you only have a marginal understanding of the local language, culture, laws, and key facilities, such as the American embassy. Protests have been frequent in the area during the last few weeks, and most have culminated in a few arrests before crowds were dispersed by police. This time feels different. Over the next few days, you begin to worry as police presence and the size of the protests seem to be escalating. The national news is continually blaming Western influence for the corruption and continued civil unrest. As if the guilt by association couldn’t get much worse, you’re also informed that all foreign diplomats are in the process of being expelled, embassies are being forced to close, and all foreigners — particularly Americans — are being explicitly named as subversives by the government.
The Complication: You wake up a couple days before your flight home to the sound of gunshots outside your hotel. Peeking out your window, you can see a column of military vehicles moving down the street, with uniformed troops marching alongside. Citizens are fleeing in fear. You turn on the TV, and the American news channel in your hotel room is saying that protests have morphed into an attempted coup that was crushed by the government. In response, the government is now detaining and questioning any foreigners.
After speaking with a few
