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.