RI art troupe cancels India tour over plague

RI art troupe cancels India tour over plague

JAKARTA (JP): An Indonesian art troupe from Bali has canceled
it's planned two-week tour in India due to the deadly pneumonic
plague epidemic there.

The cultural group consisting of 35 Balinese dancers, folk
singers, painters and sculptors was slated to arrive in New Delhi
yesterday after completing their mission in Germany.

Bali Governor Ida Bagus Oka said in Denpasar on Saturday that
the cancellation was a precaution to avoid contracting the
disease, which has killed more than 60 people over the past two
weeks.

He said both the Indonesian embassy in India and I Made Bandem
who led the Balinese cultural troupe were notified about the
cancellation before the group left Germany.

"We have told them (the cultural group members) to fly
directly to Indonesia without stopping over in India," the Antara
news agency quoted him as saying.

Indonesia and other members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) sent their cultural missions to Germany to
enliven the recent meeting between their foreign ministers and
the European Union.

The planned Indonesian cultural mission to India was made at
the invitation of Indonesian Ambassador Sahala Rajagukguk.

Unlike other countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan,
Indonesia has not barred travelers from India. They are only
required to fill in forms about their health status and
itineraries upon arrival.

Minister of Health Sujudi said last week that there was no
need to bar visitors from India or those who stopover in the
country unless they were ill or suspected of being infected by
bacteria causing the deadly disease.

Bangladesh has sealed off all but seven of the 33 land entry
points from India and its health officials are tightly screening
all Indians entering that country.

Sujudi said, however, that the position of the two countries
was different from Indonesia. (rms)