Overseas speakers fail to show up

Overseas speakers fail to show up

DENPASAR, Bali: Five overseas speakers failed to show up at an international seminar on the impact of climate change on the local environment held by Udayana University on Wednesday.

"Their failure to come here is possibly the result of the impact of the U.S. military attacks on Afghanistan, even though this hasn't been directly mentioned," Adiputra, chairman of the seminar's organizing committee, said.

He said that three of the five foreign speakers were British, while one was American and one Indian.

Bill Stout of the agricultural engineering department of a Texas university, for example, gave notice of the cancellation of his visit only by e-mail.

Bali Deputy Governor I Gusti Bagus Alit Putra said at the opening of the seminar that he could understand the five speakers' decision not to come to Bali, even though the security situation in Indonesia, especially Bali, was relatively safe.

Twenty Canadian youths who were scheduled to take part in a three-month camping trip in Bali within the framework of the Indonesian-Canadian youth exchange program, have also canceled their visit

Alit Putra said that such cancellations were not necessary as Bali was still safe for foreign visitors. --Antara