Foreign embassies urge their nationals to show caution
Foreign embassies urge their nationals to show caution
JAKARTA (JP): The United States embassy here issued a travel
warning urging U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to
Indonesia and suggesting that those working here may wish to
consider leaving the country due to the deteriorating political
situation.
Yesterday's announcement said the departure of U.S. government
employee dependents had been approved and that similar requests
submitted by employees themselves would be considered on a case
by case basis.
"Private American citizens in Indonesia may wish to consider
departure as well," the embassy said. "American citizens
remaining in Indonesia should avoid large crowds and
demonstrations."
"Live ammunition has been fired at protesters and several
deaths have occurred," it pointed out.
Other foreign embassies here have also urged their nationals
to show caution, but none have so far formally announced an
intention to evacuate.
A Singaporean national said that the island state's embassy
had also advised caution and urged citizens to remain indoors. No
advice to leave the country had been issued.
The Malaysian embassy also publicly advised its citizens here
to remain calm.
The Australian Embassy held public briefings on the latest
developments for its citizens on Tuesday and Wednesday and
advised its expatriate community to show caution.
The Thai Embassy here has also reportedly been instructed by
its foreign ministry to prepare contingency plans to assist Thai
nationals living in Indonesia.
AP quoted Thai Foreign Ministry officials in Bangkok as saying
that there are 497 Thais living in Indonesia, 273 of whom are in
Jakarta.
In Tokyo, the Japanese foreign ministry warned tourists to
avoid traveling to Indonesia and issued a recommendation that
Japanese "defer all non-essential travel to Indonesia."
The ministry warned that growing student unrest, rapidly
rising prices and increasing unemployment had created conditions
where "trouble may occur, even for Japanese visitors."
Meanwhile, Reuters reported from Tokyo that Japanese companies
had asked family members of their employees in Indonesia to
evacuate and barred employees from making business trips here.
Electronics firm Hitachi Ltd said yesterday it had told its
Japanese employees working in Indonesia to send their families
out of the country in light of the rising unrest.
"As we expect the unrest in Indonesia to reach a peak around
May 20, we have told our employees to send their family members
outside of the country for the rest of the month," a company
spokesman said.
May 20 marks the historic National Awakening Day, which has
been cited by some as a date for large demonstrations.
The spokesman said Hitachi has about 60 Japanese employees in
Indonesia and about 30 family members living with them.
Nippon Steel Corp. said it had told its employees to refrain
from making business trips to Indonesia yesterday.
The company also recently told employees to send their family
members out of Indonesia, but many have since returned, a company
spokesman said.
It has not yet made a decision on whether or not to evacuate
again, he added.
Spokesmen for Japanese industrial giants Matsushita Electric
Industrial Co Ltd and Toyota MotorCorp said their companies were
still contemplating what to do with their employees in light of
the turmoil which has erupted in Indonesia. (mds)