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| Southeast Asia |
| Jakarta hotel plays down terrorism alert |
| 2004-12-15 |
| The general manager of Jakarta's Hilton Hotel says he believes there is no need to pass an Australian terrorism warning on to his guests. Australians are being warned to avoid international hotels in Indonesia, particularly the Hilton chain, with intelligence pointing to a imminent terrorist attack. Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, David Ritchie, delivered the travel advice to the Hilton chain within minutes of its release yesterday. He then sought the names of Australians among the Jakarta Hilton's 1,000 guests so the embassy could contact them. But the hotel's general manager says there is no need to panic guests with a warning which he says is lacking in specific detail. Security officials in Jakarta have also played down the Australian warning, saying there is no intelligence to back the claim. Indonesian police say they have not received any information about an attack on a Hilton hotel, nor any other specific target, although government officials say there is always a danger as extremists blamed for previous strikes remain at large. Australian embassy staff are also contacting other hotels based on fears that any planned attack could be switched to another target. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Australians in Indonesia should avoid all international hotels and other places where foreigners gather. "Terrorists can move targets very quickly," Mr Downer said. Mr Downer says the information is based on credible intelligence. "We have had advice of a possible terrorist attack on Hilton hotels or possibly other Western hotels so we would urge Australians over the next period to keep well clear of these sorts of establishments," he said. "We wouldn't be passing it on if we weren't particularly concerned about the information." Defence Minister Robert Hill has not changed his plans to visit Jakarta from today. He plans to stay in a hotel in the capital. The Government warns Australians to avoid non-essential travel to Indonesia and says those already there who are concerned for their safety should consider leaving. The British Foreign Office has also warned Britons travelling to Indonesia over Christmas and the new year that they face a heightened risk of terrorist attacks. A Foreign Office spokeswoman says attacks could occur at any time anywhere in Indonesia and could be directed against locations frequented by tourists. Japan's Foreign Ministry also issued a warning to Japanese nationals planning to visit or stay in Indonesia, saying it has obtained information a foreign hotel has become a likely terrorism target. The Ministry has urged Japanese tourists to keep away from American and European hotels, or facilities where many people gather. US embassy spokesman Max Kwak says the mission in Jakarta has issued no warning of a possible attack. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |