Govt considers closing Aceh to foreigners

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.