Yogyakarta safe for foreign tourists<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the recent anti-U.S. sentiment, Yogyakarta is still a
\nsafe place to visit for foreign tourists, observers said here on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Speaking in a dialog held here at Yogyakarta Hyatt Regency
\nHotel, Comr. Richard Nainggolan of the Yogyakarta Police
\ndetective unit convinced the meeting's participants that the
\nprovince was still safe for foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
\"There have been no major incidents that have disturbed
\nforeign tourists in the province,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Some 150 participants, including 13 diplomats from 11
\nembassies in Jakarta, attended the two-day seminar on the
\nrecovery of the Indonesian tourist industry which was organized
\nby the Office of the State Minister of Culture and Tourism.<\/p>\n
Keynote speaker Ichlasul Amal, who is also Rector of Gadjah
\nMada University, shared the same view, saying that Yogyakarta was
\nquite different from Jakarta. He said it was true that there were
\nmany student demonstrations in the city, but they were quite
\ndifferent from those in other cities.<\/p>\n
\"Many of our foreign students have told me that they enjoy
\nYogyakarta's style of street demonstrations and that some of them
\neven took part in some of the activities,\" Amal said.<\/p>\n
Amal also said that he had tried many times to explain the
\ntrue situation in Yogyakarta to foreigners including ambassadors
\nin Jakarta. Yet, he always found it difficult to explain as most
\nof them could not make a distinction between Yogyakarta and
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"They think Yogjakarta is the same as Jakarta,\" he said,
\nadding that it was the task of all Indonesians to tell the truth
\nabout the city to help the country's ailing tourist industry.<\/p>\n
A similar view was aired by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leader
\nMochtar Mas'oed. Mochtar said that Yogyakartans were accustomed
\nto balancing differences.<\/p>\n
\"Yogyakartans live with the myth of two contrasting spirits
\nliving on top of Mt. Merapi and the southern sea. They believe
\nthey are required to maintain the two spirits so that they are
\nalways in a state of balance,\" Mochtar said, adding that this has
\nmade Yogyakartans used to living amid differences, including
\nalongside foreigners.<\/p>\n
\"Even Ja'far Umar, commander of Laskar Jihad of Ahlussunnah
\nwal Jamaah, once told me that he and his group were against any
\nform of sweeping against foreign tourists,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The number of foreign visitors has decreased slightly
\nfollowing recent anti-U.S. demonstrations by local Muslim
\norganizations in protest over the attack on Afghanistan by the
\nU.S. and its allies.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/yogyakarta-safe-for-foreign-tourists-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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