Is It Safe For Australians to Travel to Bali?

If you have read the latest travel advice from the Australian Government available at Smart Traveller, then you would be having serious considerations about wanting to travel to Indonesia, and more specifically Bali.

According to the advice, rabies is a real threat to Australian travellers. Also, a violent feud between rival taxi companies has also escalated to a point where the Australian authorities consider there to be real risks to Australian holiday makers on the island of Bali. These two issues are additions to the standard fare about the ever-present threat of terrorism and natural disasters.

So, the question is: "Should Australians travel to Indonesia, and particularly Bali, in light of the travel advice?" Yes. If you want to go to Bali then you should not be deterred by the issuance of this travel advisory. Travel, like any other human activity, comes with risks and rewards. The simple equation you have is as a traveller is to balance those risks and rewards and make an informed decision on whether to go or not.

Travel to Indonesia is really about being aware of your own personal safety and surrounds. If you are a little bit more conscious of not placing yourself in dangerous situations then you are unlikely to be harmed. The chances of one being killed in a terrorist attack are small. If you are worried about dying, then have a look at statistics for what kills people while they travel and my guess is that you will find rabies and violent taxi feuds rank pretty low on the scale of misadventure. It is not being argued that it is impossible, but it is being argued that the risks are negligible if you use your brains.

That is the rant for today.

Australian Travel Advice -- Indonesia -- 30 July 2009

This is the latest travel advice for Indonesia that I have received.

Make of it what you will. The internal links are working when I checked them. What appears below is the overall summary of the advice. I have also cut and pasted the section on terrorism. This section includes a statement that Indonesian authorities have provided information that terrorists may be intending to kidnap foreigners. If you want to read the advice in full, then follow the relevant links.

Summary

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed cases of H1N1 Influenza 09 in a number of countries throughout the world, including Indonesia. For a list of these countries, visit the WHO website. For further information and advice to Australians, including on possible quarantine measures overseas, see our travel bulletin on H1N1 Influenza 09.
• We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack.
• On 17 July 2009, terrorists detonated bombs at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta. Australians were among those killed and injured.
• There is a possibility of further terrorist attacks in Jakarta and elsewhere in Indonesia, including Bali. In past years, terrorists have attacked nightclubs, bars, restaurants and hotels in Bali and Jakarta. In the wake of the 17 July Jakarta bombings, we judge that these types of venues in Bali and Jakarta are still targets of interest to terrorists.
• We continue to receive credible information that terrorists could be planning attacks in Indonesia and that Bali remains an attractive target for terrorists. You should exercise great care, particularly around locations that have a low level of protective security.
• If you do decide to travel to Indonesia, you should exercise extreme caution.
• Previous terrorist attacks against Westerners in Bali and Jakarta indicate these areas are priority targets. You should take particular care to avoid places known to be terrorist targets. See the Terrorism section for details.
• Presidential elections were held on 8 July 2009. There were incidents of violence in Papua during the parliamentary elections in April 2009, including attacks on infrastructure. There is a possibility of further attacks, including on infrastructure, in the period surrounding the Presidential elections.
• Since 11 July 2009 there has been a series of violent attacks near the Freeport Mine in Papua. One Australian has been killed in these attacks. Further violence is possible.
• Australians should avoid all protests, demonstrations and rallies as they can turn violent.
• We advise you to read carefully the sections on travel to Aceh, Central Sulawesi Province, Maluku, Papua and West Timor where additional safety risks exist.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed human deaths from avian influenza in Indonesia, including Bali. The Indonesian Government has declared that rabies is present in Bali. See the Health Issues section below for advice to Australians travelling to or resident in Indonesia.
• You should telephone ahead for an appointment before going to the Australian Embassy (See Where to Get Help).
• Because of the serious terrorist threat we strongly recommend that you register your travel and contact details with us so we can contact you in an emergency.
• Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
  • organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
  • subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.

Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.

We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Indonesia due to the very high threat of terrorist attack. Ask yourself whether, given your own personal circumstances, you're comfortable travelling to Indonesia knowing there is a very high threat from terrorism and you may be caught up in a terrorist attack. Ask yourself whether travel could be deferred or an alternative destination chosen. If, having considered these issues, you do decide to travel to Indonesia, you should exercise extreme caution.

On 17 July 2009, terrorists detonated bombs at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta. Australians were among those killed and injured.

There is a possibility of further terrorist attacks in Jakarta and elsewhere in Indonesia, including Bali. In past years, terrorists have attacked nightclubs, bars, restaurants and hotels in Bali and Jakarta. In the wake of the 17 July Jakarta bombings, we judge that these types of venues in Bali and Jakarta are still targets of interest to terrorists.

We continue to receive credible information that terrorists could be planning attacks in Indonesia and that Bali remains an attractive target for terrorists. These attacks could take place at any time. You should be particularly vigilant during holiday periods such as Easter and Christmas.

Indonesian authorities have warned that terrorists may be planning to kidnap foreigners.

Attacks against Westerners in Bali and Jakarta indicate that these areas are a priority target for terrorists. Suicide attacks against locations frequented by foreigners in Bali and Jakarta such as the 1 October 2005 and 12 October 2002 Bali bombings and bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in September 2004 killed and injured many people. Westerners were also targeted in the bombing of a five-star hotel in central Jakarta in August 2003. We cannot rule out the possibility of another attack targeting Westerners, including Australians.

In planning your activities, consider the kind of places known to be terrorist targets and the level of security provided at venues. You should take particular care to avoid places known to be terrorist targets. Tourist areas and attractions throughout Indonesia and tourists travelling to or from these places, including those in tour groups or tour buses, could be targeted. Other possible targets include international hotels, clubs, sporting clubs and venues, restaurants, international fast food outlets, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres, Jakarta's embassy district and diplomatic missions elsewhere, international schools, expatriate housing compounds and Western interests and businesses. Places frequented by foreigners, central business areas, office buildings, churches and other places of worship, airlines, airports, public transport and transport hubs, shopping centres, premises and symbols associated with the Indonesian Government, and outdoor recreation events are also potential targets.

Due to security concerns, security at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta and the Consulate-General in Bali is at a high level. The Australian Embassy has advised its staff and their families to be particularly careful in how they travel or walk to and from the Embassy.

Noordin M. Top Claims Recent Jakarta Bombings

Noordin M. Top has allegedly signed off on an internet message that was posted on behalf of Top. As has been suspected, Top claims the bombings on behalf of a splinter group linked to Jemaah Islamiyya (or Jemaah Islamiyah), Tandzim al-Qaeda.

Interestingly, the message claims that the American business community, and presumably anyone remotely associated with that community, for stealing Indonesia's natural resources. Therefore, this would give some credence to the idea that James Castle's round table breakfast function was in fact the intended target and not a target of opportunity.

The message was written in Arabic and Indonesian. It was posted on Sunday to a website that had not be known previously, Bushro. Top and his band of terrorists have only claimed one previous Indonesian bombing, and by all accounts it seems that this message is in much the same manner as the previous claim. The previous claim of responsibility related to bombings in Bali in 2005.

Whether the claim is legitimate and issued on the orders of Top remain to be seen and investigated more fully. I have recently heard that some experts are starting to question its authenticity as it contains some errors. These experts are questioning the authenticity because Top is a renowned perfectionist. Time will tell I guess.

The note mentions some of Top's closest confidants that have been killed by anti-terror forces during the pursuit of Top. However, these confidants were killed in 2005 and 2006, so this suggests that the planning and execution of the plan were a long-time in the making. So long in fact that it has been reported that the police had intelligence to suggest that a bombing was a possibility.

Noordin M. Top is Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorist. He hails from Malaysia but has honed his bombing skills in Indonesia. He has become a real merchant of death in that he is allegedly responsible for the killing of almost 250 people since his bombing spree started.

The sooner anti-terrorism forces catch this man the better. Otherwise, Indonesians can be assured of one thing; he will continue to build bombs designed to kill as many people as he can for as long as he can. He, and his group, might be targeting foreigners, but history shows he is not adverse to killing Indonesians as acceptable collateral damage in the pursuit of his goals.

Violence is not the answer. It will never resolve our differences and it will never allow us to move forward to a place where we all live in peace and harmony with one another. People of all faiths must denounce violence as a legitimate means to an end; violence is not legitimate and it never ends.