Governor assures Yogyakarta is safe

Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

In a bid to convince foreign tourists and investors that Yogyakarta is safe and secure, Governor Hamengkubuwono X has issued a letter of guarantee -- in English -- assuring that there will be no sweeps carried out against foreigners entering or staying in the city.

The letter, signed by Hamengkubuwono, was written on Saturday after he had reiterated on several occasions that there would be no anti-American action in the province of Yogyakarta.

"Many, especially those who work in tourism, had suggested to me that my (oral) statements would not work in calming them down. That's why I had to issue a written guarantee of Yogyakarta's safety and order," he told reporters on Monday.

Several Muslim groups conducted a hunt for U.S. citizens staying or living in the neighboring city of Surakarta, East Java to show their solidarity to Afghanistan, which has been under American pressure to hand over Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden is, according to the U.S., the prime suspect behind the recent WTC and Pentagon terrorist attacks.

Hamengkubuwono's official statement will be distributed to individuals, groups and offices dealing with tourism, including hotels and travel agencies.

Hamengkubuwono's promise seems to be serious.

He claimed to have met with leaders of Muslim organizations in Yogyakarta before issuing the letter of guarantee.

"There is no indication that they will do the same thing as other groups have done in other cities."

"With the written statements, the Yogyakarta administration, along with the police and the city's citizens, wish to announce that Yogyakarta is a safe place for foreign guests and investors. We guarantee that anti-American sentiment will never arise here," he said.

In the one-page letter of guarantee, Governor Hamengkubuwono, who is also the Sultan of Yogyakarta, criticized the sweeps carried out on Americans, saying that the action was against the law and Indonesian culture.

"It is already known that in accordance with Indonesian culture we have always treated our guests with hospitality and respect, as have Indonesian Muslims too," he said in the letter.

Head of the local Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI), Steffanus B. Indarto, warmly welcomed Hamengkubuwono's letter of guarantee, saying that the assurance would help the city's tourism no end.

"We hope that foreign delegations will not reconsider their attendance at some international meetings and events in Yogyakarta over the next few months," he said.

Yogyakarta will host several international events including the International Mask Festival and Exhibition (IMFE) later this month, the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace (ACRP) early next month and the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in January 2002.