Government to issue new rules on immigration<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will soon implement a new
\nimmigration policy that will lift the existing barriers for
\nChinese tourists entering Indonesia, an official has said.<\/p>\n
Director General of Tourism and Culture I Gde Ardika said on
\nTuesday the policy would, among other things, allow Chinese
\nvisitors to enter Indonesia through the 13 main entry points
\ninstead of only five as currently allowed.<\/p>\n
\"The policy is expected to be implemented sometime in April.
\nThe tourism ministry and other related authorities are currently
\npreparing the details, which will later be discussed with the
\nChinese authorities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said his office had recommended the government give
\ncitizens of China the \"free visa short stay\" facility or at least
\nallow Chinese visitors to arrange their visas on arrival in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The recommendation was being discussed and had yet to be
\ndecided upon, he said.<\/p>\n
Introduced in 1983, the free visa facility allows citizens
\nfrom 48 countries, including the United States, Australia, the
\nNetherlands, Britain, Japan, Ireland, Germany, Kuwait, Malaysia,
\nSingapore, Egypt, Mexico, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
\nEmirates, Greece and Hong Kong, to enter Indonesia without having
\nto obtain a visa prior to arrival.<\/p>\n
The facility, which is not available to citizens of China,
\nSouth Africa and several other countries, also allows the
\neligible visitors to stay in Indonesia for a maximum of two
\nmonths, to travel and to attend conventions and seminars.<\/p>\n
Ardika said current regulations demanded citizens of China
\nobtain the proper visa before entering Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Chinese visitors are only permitted to enter Indonesia from
\nfive airports, including those in Jakarta, Medan in North
\nSumatra, Surabaya in East Java and Denpasar in Bali, he said.<\/p>\n
The new policy was expected to attract more Chinese tourists,
\nhe said, adding that not many Chinese tourists wanted to come to
\nIndonesia because of the country's stiff immigration rules.<\/p>\n
Official data show that only about 600 Chinese tourists flew
\ndirectly to Indonesia's tourist island of Bali in 1999, higher
\nthan 326 in 1998 and 579 in 1997.<\/p>\n
Ardika said the government expected the number of Chinese
\nvisitors to increase sharply to roughly six million a year in the
\nnear future following the implementation of the new policy.<\/p>\n
He said the new policy was being prepared in response to
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid's recent criticism of the country's
\nstern immigration regulations for Chinese visitors.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, during a visit to China late last year, blasted
\nIndonesia's overly-strict immigration regulations for Chinese
\ncitizens entering Indonesia, saying the tight policy was merely a
\nruse to extort money from visa applicants.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman then instructed concerned ministries to phase out
\nthe immigration rules.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and China resumed diplomatic ties in 1990, which had
\nbeen frozen since 1967, two years after an abortive communist
\ncoup which Indonesia then claimed involved China.<\/p>\n
In a bid to boost Indonesia's flagging tourism industry,
\nAbdurrahman turned down a recent intention of the Office of the
\nCoordinating Ministry for Security and Political Affairs to
\nreview the existing free visa short stay program, according to
\nArdika.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Gen.
\nWiranto said late last year his office was considering a review
\nof the free visa facility because it had brought about
\nunfavorable effects, including drug smuggling.<\/p>\n
Ardika said the President's decision to keep the facility in
\nplace had been warmly welcomed by tourism-related companies
\nbecause they believed the program was a significant incentive for
\nforeign tourists coming to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia received 3.93 million visitors in 1999, up on 3.51
\nmillion in 1998. (cst)<\/p>",
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