Howard disputes Japan's travel warnings
Howard disputes Japan's travel warnings
Associated Press, Sydney, Australia
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has challenged Japanese government warnings against its citizens visiting Australia because of terrorism fears following last month's Bali nightclub bombings.
Japan recently cautioned Japanese traveling to, or living in, Australia that terrorist attacks are possible here in the wake of the Bali blasts.
"That's a matter for the Japanese. It's not soundly based though," Howard said on private 3AW radio in Melbourne on Friday.
"There has been a far more serious terrorist attack in Japan than there has been in Australia," he said. "But we wouldn't warn people because of that to stay away from Japan."
In 1995, a doomsday cult released nerve gas in the Tokyo subway, killing 12 and injuring thousands.
"I can only repeat the obvious to our Japanese friends, and that is that by the standards of most countries, this is a very safe country," Howard said.
"Nobody can guarantee that any country is completely immune from a terrorist attack. I can't do that. I can only repeat and state my scale of assessment of risk."
A series of bombs tore through the nightclub district of the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Oct. 12. Most of the nearly 200 people killed were Australian vacationers. Two Japanese were among other foreigners killed.
Japan is a major source of tourists for Australia.
For its part, Australia has also issued travel warnings against several neighboring countries since the Bali attacks.
Last month the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations harshly criticized as unfair travel warnings issued by several wealthy nations including Australia, the U.S. and European states.
Meanwhile in Wellington, the New Zealand government on Friday softened its warning that citizens should not travel to the holiday island Bali.
Immediately after terror bombs killed nearly 200 people including three New Zealanders on Oct. 12, the government told travelers not to go to Bali.
On Friday, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade eased its advice for Bali, saying essential travel can be undertaken, with suitable security precautions.
Despite softening its advice for Bali, the ministry noted what it calls a heightened terrorism threat to Westerners and Western interests throughout Southeast Asia and particularly Indonesia, and warned against all travel to several Indonesian trouble spots.
Areas covered are Aceh Province, the Maluku Islands, West Papua, Sulawesi and West Timor's border area and Belu district.
Travel warnings for parts of the Philippines also remain in force.