U.S. issues new warning on Indonesian security
U.S. issues new warning on Indonesian security
Agencies Jakarta
The United States has issued a fresh warning to Americans to avoid non-essential travel to Indonesia, calling bombs that killed 23 people in Bali on Oct. 1 "a reminder that terrorists remain active".
The National Police, meanwhile, said they were stepping up counterterrorism measures for Idul Fitri next week.
The U.S. warning, e-mailed on Thursday to U.S. citizens in Indonesia, said: "The possibility remains that terrorists will carry out additional attacks in Bali, Jakarta or other areas of Indonesia in the near future."
The last U.S. warning for Indonesia was issued in May.
The most recent warning said Americans who did visit Indonesia should "be aware of their surroundings at all times, and vary their routes and times in carrying out daily activities."
Terrorists could target places frequented by Westerners, including hotels, clubs, restaurants, shopping centers, places of worship and schools, it added.
Americans traveling to holiday spots like Bali should also consider security levels at the specific places they go, it said.
"Over the past three years, domestically targeted bombings have struck religious, political, and business targets," it said, referring to sporadic attacks across the archipelago blamed on local issues.
Separatist hotspots like Papua and Aceh also required caution, the warning said.
While the government and Aceh rebels reached a peace agreement in August, "the overall security situation in Aceh remains unsettled."
It also suggests that travelers "consult with their personal physicians concerning avian flu". Bird flu has hit millions of chickens here, and four human deaths from the disease have been confirmed.
The warning comes during Ramadhan, which the National Police have said could be a time of fresh attacks.
Police plan to tighten security and put extra police on duty, especially during the height of the exodus next week when millions of people leave urban areas for their home villages to celebrate Idul Fitri.
"All regional police offices will put their Detachment-88s (terror units) on alert," Commissioner General Ismerda Lebang, the National Police security head, said on Thursday.
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani has said bomb surveillance units would focus on 18 spots in the city, including malls, train stations and airports.
Firman said 18,000 policeman would be deployed in the greater Jakarta area, including around 100 officers from its anti-terror detachment.
Security concerns have been one issue inhibiting foreign investment here, and the first attacks on the resort island of Bali dealt a major blow to the tourist trade.
Indonesia has been hit by a number of bomb attacks in recent year. Several aimed at Western-linked targets have been blamed on the militant Jamaah Islamiyah network.
Intelligence authorities believe it is the Southeast Asian affiliate of al-Qaeda, the group Washington charges with the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States,
In October 2002, a first round of bombs in Bali killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Deadly car bomb blasts at a luxury hotel in Jakarta and another at the Australian Embassy followed in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
The attacks in Bali this month hit three restaurants. The 23 casualties included three suicide bombers, police said.