Countries advise caution in travel to Indonesia
Countries advise caution in travel to Indonesia
JAKARTA (Agencies): Following days of unrest and violent
clashes between student protesters and security personnel in
Indonesia, several nations have issued travel advisories and
warnings to their nationals already in the country.
The U.S. State Department on Saturday encouraged all Americans
to delay nonessential travel to Jakarta and said Americans in
throughout the country should avoid crowds and disturbances and
be cautious, even in hailing a taxi.
"Because of the possibility of robbery and two confirmed
instances of expatriates being killed after entering taxis",
Americans in Jakarta were advised to take a taxi from outside a
major hotel or to call for one from a taxi company rather than
hailing one on the street, the State Department said as quoted by
Reuters.
"The political and economic situation remains unsettled," it
said, while noting that tourist areas in Bali have not been
affected.
President B.J. Habibie ordered the military to crack down on
lawlessness on Saturday as the country's capital erupted into
riots after several days of deadly clashes between troops and
students.
At least 15 people have been killed in the violence in
Jakarta, which has a population of 10 million. The deaths sparked
antimilitary riots and a wave of rioting in which buildings were
torched and shops looted in the capital.
The same news agency reported from Singapore that Asian
nations expressed unease at the weekend over the situation in
Indonesia, an increasingly restive flash point for the region.
"We are concerned because the number of casualties is growing
and we certainly hope that the Indonesian government will be able
to control the situation and maintain stability," Philippine
foreign minister Domingo Siazon told reporters covering APEC
talks in Malaysia.
"Indonesia is very important, it's the biggest ASEAN member
country and of course what happens in Indonesia affects all of
us."
Malaysia, a fellow member of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations and itself rocked by fresh antigovernment protests
over the weekend, was also wary of events in Jakarta.
"We are always concerned over what is happening to our
neighbors," foreign minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in Kuala
Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong has warned its citizens traveling to
Indonesia to be extra cautious, advising them to contact the
Chinese embassy if they need help.
A spokesman from Hong Kong's Security Bureau said on Sunday
the government was still monitoring the situation in Indonesia.
"It is much better now and traffic to the airport is no problem,"
the spokesman was quoted as saying by the government information
department.
"Anyone who wants assistance can go to the Chinese embassy,"
the spokesman said. No trouble has been reported by Hong Kong
citizens so far, he added.