Borobudur festival canceled

SEMARANG, Central Java: This year's Borobudur International Festival, originally slated for July 7 to July 11, has been officially canceled due to safety and economic reasons.

"We will soon send letters to the 20 countries that confirmed their wish to participate in the event to notify them of its cancellation," spokesman Henky Hermantoro was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said the provincial administration would also announce the cancellation through the Internet.

"We have decided to cancel the festival due to the economic crisis," he said, adding the administration could not guarantee good services or the participants' safety.

The 20 countries which planned to participate in the festival are Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Egypt, Finland, Italy, India, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Ukraine, Uzbekhistan and Indonesia.