No major changes in procedure to enter Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There would be no major changes to Indonesian entry procedures following the devastating Bali bomb attacks last Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Wednesday.

However, the minister said the government had considered tightening screening foreigners entering the country as Indonesia was one of the most open countries in the world.

"We are considering tightening screening for visa applications, but the procedure will not be that complicated," Hassan said after a Cabinet meeting at the State Palace.

He said the immigration measures were among the topics discussed during Monday's Cabinet meeting following the attacks.

Hassan said the government had decided to tighten security at airports and to increase surveillance on the flow of goods into the country.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked for the public's understanding if the immigration process at entry points took longer than usual due to the minor changes.

Hassan said Indonesia would not follow the lead taken by the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, which required three agencies to screen all visa applicants.

"The planned screening would not be that drastic, and we will discuss it further," the minister told media after the Cabinet meeting.

Indonesia is on high alert after the bombings, especially after authorities claimed there had been no preliminary indication of the bombings.

Security personnel had been put on alert across the country after the bombings, which claimed more than 180 innocent lives and injured hundreds of others.

Jakarta, even before the carnage, was reconsidering visa upon arrival facilities provided to citizens of 48 countries entering Indonesia, saying it posed a threat to internal security.

The regulations were introduced in the early 1990s to attract foreign tourists.