Sultan denies terrorist warning

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.