Sultan denies terrorist warning behind cancellation of U.S. trip

Sri Wahyuni The Jakarta Post Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X denied on Wednesday that the cancellation of his planned trip to the United States was prompted by a travel advisory that Yogyakarta was unsafe for Americans and other westerners.

Speaking to journalists before chairing a special political and security meeting at his office in the Kepatihan gubernatorial office complex, the sultan said that the decision to cancel the U.S. visit was made on Sept. 16, 2002, while the travel advisory was issued on Sept. 19.

"I decided to cancel the trip because I could not leave while the deliberation of the 2003 provincial budget was about to start in the provincial legislature," the sultan explained. The deliberation of the 2003 budget is due to start on Oct. 2, 2002.

He said he had informed the U.S. government of the cancellation.

The sultan said he was initially scheduled to deliver cultural addresses in Washington and Indianapolis as the sultan of Yogyakarta, and to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Indianapolis mayor for cooperative ventures in the cultural sphere.

The visit was scheduled to take place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 11, 2002.

The sultan said he had assigned his eldest daughter G.K.R. Pembayun to deliver his addresses in the U.S., and provincial secretary Bambang Susanto Priyohadi to sign the memorandum of understanding with Indianapolis city.

Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM) rector Sofian Effendi told reporters on Tuesday that the Sultan had canceled his visit to the U.S. to protest against allegations made by U.S. officials that Yogyakarta was unsafe for Americans.

Sofian was scheduled to travel with the Sultan, together with a number of senior provincial officials.

"It's Pak Sofian's right to say that, but I made the cancellation on Sept. 16," said the sultan, adding that he would not blame the rector for his statement as he had never officially told him about the decision.

Alluding to the travel advisory, the sultan said he had assigned his staff to seek more information about the warning from the U.S. embassy in Jakarta.

"Once we have the written travel advisory in our hands, we will provide an official clarification about the present security situation in the province," he said.

He added that Wednesday's special political and security meeting held at his office was in response to the terrorist warning and to prepare an official clarification to counter the warning.