U.S., British, Aussie embassies remain open despite war<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The U.S., British and Australian Embassies in Jakarta kept
\ntheir doors open on Thursday despite the Iraq war, which started
\nearlier in the day.<\/p>\n
"The U.S. Embassy is open as normal today. Right now we plan
\nto keep the embassy open for business, including processing visa
\napplications," U.S. Public Affairs Attache Stan Harsha told the
\nPost on Thursday.<\/p>\n
But Harsha said the embassy would be closed for visa
\nprocessing on Friday, but other departments would remain open.
\nMeanwhile, the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya will be
\ncompletely closed on Friday.<\/p>\n
Harsha was clarifying a The Jakarta Post report saying that
\nthe Embassy was closed on Wednesday due to the Iraq war.<\/p>\n
According to the warden message from the U.S. Embassy to U.S.
\ncitizens in Indonesia, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and the U.S.
\nConsulate General in Surabaya may temporarily close or suspend
\npublic services at other times in the weeks ahead for security
\nreasons.<\/p>\n
Harsha also said that there were no heightened security
\nprecautions being taken due to the war. "We just have the same
\nsort of security precautions as we had before. We always inform
\nour staff to be careful. We have been very careful anyway since
\nthe terrorist acts that occurred earlier," said Harsha.<\/p>\n
British Embassy press officer Mila Sudjono told the Post that
\nthey were still open on Thursday, as was the consular office for
\nvisa processing in the Deutsche Bank building on Jl. Imam Bonjol.<\/p>\n
"At this moment, the diplomats at the British Embassy are
\ntaking every precaution, and have advised all their residents in
\nIndonesia to heighten their precautions, especially in the
\nevening," said British Ambassador Richard Gozney, responding to a
\nwritten inquiry from the Post.<\/p>\n
Whether any special measures would be taken by the embassy if
\nthe situation worsened, Gozney said that would depend on
\ndevelopments. "There is no intention to close the embassy so far,
\nlet alone to evacuate the staff," he said.<\/p>\n
The same applied to the Australian Embassy on Jl. HR. Rasuna
\nSaid, South Jakarta. "It's business as usual at the Australian
\nEmbassy today," public affairs counselor Kirk Coningham told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
But he said that the embassy was on high alert. "The embassy
\nis already on top security alert. We have been telling our staff
\nto be more cautious ever since the Bali bombings," said
\nConingham.<\/p>\n
He also said that so far the embassy had no special plans
\nregarding the Iraq war, but they would keep watching the
\nsituation closely and would respond as things developed.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the U.S. honorary consul's office on Jl. Hayam
\nWuruk, Bali, appeared to have extra security provided by the Bali
\nPolice on Thursday.<\/p>\n
According to Mala, a staffer with the U.S. honorary consul's
\noffice in Bali, they had not requested any additional security
\nfrom the Bali Police.<\/p>\n
"They came of their own initiative. They were not even here
\nthis morning," said Mala. She also said that the honorary
\nconsul's office was still open to serve U.S. citizens.<\/p>\n
Several concrete blockades have been installed in front of the
\nAustralian Consulate General on Jl. Moh. Yamin, Denpasar.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Wednesday, Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi
\nSetyawan called on foreign consuls in Bali and advised them to be
\nprepared should the situation worsen.<\/p>\n
A rumor also did the rounds on Thursday saying that U.S.
\nAmbassador Ralph Boyce and most of the U.S. Embassy staff members
\nin Jakarta were leaving the country.<\/p>\n
Harsha denied the rumor, saying that the ambassador and his
\nstaff were still in the country.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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