Bali denies report cholera

Bali denies report cholera

JAKARTA (JP): Bali restaurateurs denounced the Japanese newspapers for suggesting an outbreak of cholera on the holiday island without bothering to check the facts.

Soewito Raharjo of the Bali chapter of Association of Hotel and Restaurants said the Japanese press based their reports on claims by 19 Japanese tourists who recently returned from Bali complaining of stomach problems.

"It could've been an indigestion problem. How do they know for sure that it was cholera? Did they find they even had the virus?" Soewito told the Antara news agency on Saturday.

He said a number of Japanese package tours to Bali have been canceled following the reports.

He also deplored at the government's inaction in the face of such damaging press reports.

Soewito said Bali also happened to be the last stop for the 19 Japanese tourists and so if they had indeed contracted cholera, they could have picked it up on other stops.

If there was an outbreak of cholera in Bali, then how come no other tourists or local people are infected? he asked.

Soewito said the reports should not severely affect the inflow of tourists to Bali because Japanese are not the only foreign tourists who visit the island.

Besides, the validity of the report is doubtful and that any impact on the number of Japanese tourists visiting is likely to be brief. (29)