U.S. soldiers avoid Bali

KUTA, Bali: A senior Bali businessman called on Friday for the U.S. military not to discourage its soldiers from holidaying on the resort island of Bali.

Lie Djin Sin, the owner of Putri Duyung Hotel in Seminyak, Kuta, said soldiers no longer came to the island following the Bali bombing two years ago that killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

The soldiers had been ordered by their superiors to avoid Bali and choose other tourist destinations on fears they could be targets of terrorist attacks, Sin said.

About 2,000 U.S. soldiers on average, mostly from U.S. military bases in Okinawa, Japan, used to visit Bali each year, he said. -- Antara