Govt considers closing Aceh to foreigners

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Martial law administrator in Aceh Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya said he was considering closing the province to foreigners, following the shooting of two German nationals on Wednesday.

"We are considering banning foreigners from the province to prevent such an incident from recurring," Endang said on Friday.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Banda Aceh later in the day to discuss with Endang an appropriate policy regarding the presence of foreigners in the war-torn province.

"We will decide a new policy for foreigners in Aceh, including for tourists," the minister said upon his departure for the Acehnese capital.

Susilo said that the new policy for foreigners was necessary as their safety and activities in the province had raised the concern of the local authorities.

He underlined that the main purpose of the policy on foreigners was simply to ensure their safety in the light of the ongoing military operation.

The two German nationals were shot in the Lhong Gayo area of Aceh Jaya regency on Wednesday night, leaving one of them dead and the other injured.

The deceased, Lothar Heinrich Albert Engel, 53, was traveling with his wife Elisabeth Engel, 49, in the province, where martial law has been in place since May 19.

It was reported that the couple entered the province on May 16 from Belawan in North Sumatra.

The Indonesian government has warned foreign nationals to avoid the province and called on all foreigners, including those who worked for humanitarian agencies, to leave Aceh following the military operation.

The government has also denied visas to a number of foreign journalists wishing to cover the war.

Despite the call, several foreigners have chosen to stay in the province, including humanitarian aid workers and reporters from the foreign media.