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