Australians ready for RI Xmas despite warning

Agencies, Jakarta/Sydney, Australia

Thousands of Australians are preparing to spend Christmas in Indonesia, particularly on the resort island of Bali, despite travel warnings from their government.

Bali was the target of a terrorist attack that claimed at least 202 lives, including 88 Australian holidaymakers, in October 2002.

Australian travel agencies and airlines reported few cancellations, although the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had issued a warning that it had credible intelligence of a potential attack in Indonesia, possibly targeting a Western hotel.

Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty said the perpetrators of the September bombing targeting the Australian Embassy in Jakarta had originally been planning a second strike at the city's JW Marriott Hotel.

In Jakarta, Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda regretted Australia's going public about the threats instead of informing the Indonesian police of a possible terror attack.

"If they have credible information, they should have shared it with the National Police. Both countries have already had good cooperation in (combating) terrorism since the Bali bombing," Hassan told reporters on Friday.

While acknowledging that the travel advisory did not prohibit Australian tourists from traveling to Bali and merely warned them against travel, he said Australia's move would be disadvantageous to bilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism.

"Issuing a travel warning is not beneficial in our cooperation against terrorism. These warnings will benefit the terror groups, because people are afraid to travel," he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, in Vanuatu for talks with its new government, said it would be a national scandal if the government had information about a potential terror attack and decided not to pass it on to the people.

Downer also rejected claims that Australia did not adequately disseminate the warning to top Indonesian officials, and said it was still up to Australians in Indonesia to decide what to do.

"People in the hotel and people in Jakarta should generally be aware of the threats," Downer told ABC Radio from Port Vila.

Keelty said in Brisbane that he supported the decision by Downer to issue the warning.

He said a federal police team had been working in Indonesia on the attacks in Bali, last year's Marriott Hotel blast that killed 12 and the embassy blast that claimed 11, and knew much more about local terrorist groups than it did two years ago.

Keelty added police had knowledge of some attacks, but without precise details.

Britain, Japan, New Zealand and the United States also issued their own warnings, but did not mention probable targets.