Americans traveling to China for the Olympic: Warned about monitoring
in hotels
US Olympic tourists warned about monitoring in hotels
Published: Friday March 21, 2008
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_Olympic_tourists_warned_about_mo_03212008.html
Americans traveling to China for the Olympic Games in August can
expect their hotel rooms there to be monitored, the State Department
warned on its website.
"All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation
of privacy in public or private locations," according to the State
Department site.
"All hotel rooms and offices are considered to be subject to on-site
or remote technical monitoring at all times. Hotel rooms, residences
and offices may be accessed at any time without the occupant's consent
or knowledge," it said.
It added that many hotels and apartment buildings may be poorly built,
lack emergency exits, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide monitors and
basic security like locks, alarms, and personnel.
It also said that the threat of terrorism appeared to be minimal, but
urged caution nonetheless.
"The threat level for terrorism against Americans in China remains
low. However, any large-scale public event like the upcoming Olympic
Games could become the focus of terrorist acts or other forms of
violence," it said.
"There is no reason to believe that US citizens are being targeted at
this time," it said.
It also said crime rates were relatively low, with major metropolitan
areas safer than similar sized cities in other developing countries.
But "while the overall crime threat is low, the number of criminal
incidents, including those directed against Americans, continues to
rise," it added.
The Olympic Summer Games will take place from August 8-24, followed by
the Beijing Paralympic Summer Games 2008 from September 6-17.
|
