Indonesia

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | May 31st, 2005 | Trackback

The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, the Consulate General in Surbaya and the Consular Agency in Bali were closed May 26-30 because of an unspecified security threat. The threat of attack against U.S. interests in Indonesia has existed for some time, and remains in place.

In other news, two bombs exploded in the Central Sulawesi city of Tentena, a predominantly Christian town near Poso, killing 20 and injuring 55. Posa was the center of clashes between Muslims and Christians in sectarian conflict that killed more than 2,000 people and displaced another 100,000 from 1999 to 2001.

And the case of an Australian woman sentenced to 20 years in prison for smuggling nine pounds of marijuana into Bali is a reminder that travelers are bound by the laws of the country they are visiting, and penalties for dealing in drugs can be harsh. The case has caused an uproar in Australia because defense lawyers claimed that the marijuana had been planted in the woman’s unlocked surfboard bag by baggage handlers in Australia. If so, there is another lesson here: even in this era when airport security officers may require you to unlock your bags for inspection, it is better to keep them locked whenever possible, and not just to deter thieves.

Home » Terrorist threats, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Scams/Crime, Security issues

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