No confirmation of attack on tourists

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The German Embassy in Jakarta said on Monday it had found no confirmation about media reports that two German tourists were recently received an unprovoked beating in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara province.

First Secretary for Public and Cultural Affairs Hendrik Barkeling said he had contacted representatives in Bali and Lombok, but no evidence was collected.

"Until now we don't have anything confirmed. But we still keep on continuing the inquiry," Barkeling told The Jakarta Post by telephone here.

He said his staff in Bali and Lombok had done their best to inquire about the alleged attack on the German tourists but, "They were unable to obtain either their identity or report if the tourists were hospitalized. It is very, very unclear."

Barkeling was commenting on the report that two German tourists were beaten after apparently being mistaken for Americans by a group of local Muslims.

Putu Aria Tusan, a worker at the local association of tour and travel agencies, said earlier the two Germans were hit and kicked while watching a display of the traditional local game peresean in the city last week.

Meanwhile Tim Stuart, marketing manager of Lombok-Sumbawa Tourism Promotion Board strongly denied the report.

"On talking with Mr. Putu (the source of the news) it now appears he had 'overheard' that two tourists had been kicked by some locals about two weeks ago. The place the incident occurred is unknown, so-called victims' names unknown, and no corresponding police reports filed," Stuart said in a release, copies of which was distributed to the Post on Monday.