Posted 04 April 2006 @ 10:15
JAKARTA, 04 April 2006 - Australia's travlel advisory that terrorist attacks would occur in Indonesia on Sunday, April 2, which was not true, constitutes part of Australia's propaganda against Indonesia, according to an observer. The travel warning is categorized as C3 rather than A1, meaning that the truth of the warning needs rechecking, Wawan H. Purwanto, an intelligence observer and a lecturer at State Intelligence Institute (IIN), said here Monday.
To counter the Australian propaganda, he recommended that the Indonesian Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Ministry, along with business circles in the tourist sector, should make a denial through the mass media. Responding to the Australian travel warning issued on April 1, 2006, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin stated recently that Indonesia is fighting terrorism, so it is not necessary for Australia to issue such a warning.
The Australian Government renewed its travel advisory last Friday, citing the possibility of terrorist attacks on westerners interests in Indonesia. Australia has issued periodically a travel advisory against Indonesia since October 2002. With the routine issuance of such travel advisory by Australian, the Indonesian Government and some diplomats believe that those travel warnings no longer have an impact on the tourism industry in Indonesia, as vindicated by the arrival of a large number of foreign tourists in Bali.
There was no terrorist attack on tourist resorts in Bali and other Indonesian areas on Sunday, April 2, 2006. Robert Dunn, a foreign tourist from Britain said in Kuta, Bali, on Sunday: "I know that a tourist warning has been issued, but there is nothing to be worried about in Bali." ANTARA News has observed that favorite locations for foreign tourists in Bali, like Legian, Seminyak and Kuta, are still crowded by tourists from various countries. It seems that they are not afraid of the possibility of terrorist attacks as cited in the travel warning issued by Australia and the US
A number of foreign tourists enjoyed their leisure by going shopping, visiting handicraft centers, enjoying the enchanting scenery on the beach, visiting cafes and restaurants or just sightseeing around tourist locations in a relaxed atmosphere. Like Bali, Batam island is not affected by the Australian travel warning as vindicated by the arrival of a large number of tourists from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Korea on Sunday (April 2).
The Batam tourism office has even recorded an increase in tourist arrivals on the island.
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