I am gratified at everybody's concern, but I don't feel in any immediate danger. I quote from the latest email release from the British Embassy here:
GENERAL ADVICE: Indonesia
Outside the areas of instability mentioned below, most visits to Indonesia are for the moment trouble-free, and most of the main tourist destinations are unaffected. Daily life and business continue as normal for the present. This advice will be changed at short notice if necessary.
After the terrorist attacks in the US, there is a heightened terrorist threat to US interests worldwide. The US Government has authorised the voluntary departure of non-essential government personnel and their dependants from Indonesia. We are monitoring the situation closely, but we are not planning to take a similar step with regard to British personnel at the moment. British citizens are, however, advised to remain vigilant, to exercise caution, and to report any suspicious activities to the authorities.
There was a similar flap before the Gulf War but I can't say I suffered any particular inconvenience then (apart from getting my pocket picked but that's a whole 'nother story). Of course things were a lot more controlled then (efficient brutal dictators do provide a certain amount of security for those not on the receiving end of the brutality [tongue very much in cheek emoticon]).
I was also here during the May 1998 riots and just stayed indoors, and then when it was over went down to a beach resort and stayed there for a week (an impromptu holiday can't be bad, can it?).
The church I go to was one of those bombed last Christmas Eve, but the bomb was found in time, thanks to our Muslim security staff, and defused by the mostly Muslim bomb squad.
After all the discussion on this board, nobody should be surprised to hear that an American invasion of Afghanistan (if it happens)will not be received with universal gladness. There are certainly groups here who do see it, whatever Bush may say, as an attack on Islam. Also, the US Ambassador here is not a popular figure. He has a tendency to throw his weight around in a way that may influence people but certainly does not win friends. I would not put spreading such stories past him as way of putting pressure on the govt. Political posturing is more extreme here than it is back home, but my rule of thumb has always been that the more fuss there is in advance the less that actually happens.
There is a lot of talk about sweeps from certain quarters, which basically means a large group go from hotel to hotel to search out US'ns to try and intimidate them into leaving but if anyone has threatened to take hostages, I haven't noticed it in the Jakarta Post, the main English-language paper here.
Yes, there is cause for concern, but I'm coping (and one way is a certain amount of flippancy). I'm not particularly brave so I'm not going to do anything silly, just keep the late Mr. Adams's excellent advice in mind.
Bingley
