From today's headlines
1. 11,000 foreign, mostly from Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Japan and Europe, and 622,935 Indonesian
tourists visited S. Sulawesi in 2003.
2. Canada warned on Sunday of a
"credible terrorist threat" to western interests in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province. Visitors should consider avoiding 'soft' targets such as hotels, clubs, restaurants, bars, schools and places of worship.
South Sulawesi is a stronghold of Golkar, the party of former President Habibie, a son of Sulawesi. Another son is Jusuf Kalla, the Vice Presidential candidate-in-waiting with front runner Gen (ret.) Siswono Bambang Yudohusodo. Kalla is one of the many prominent Indonesian businessmen involved in the Sulawesi tourism industry. So I can only see Indonesian targets.
3. The Americans and Australians have also issued
travel advisories. However, these relate to possible election-related violence. At the moment, the only demos are in favour of Gus Dur, the former president who has been ruled ineligible on account of his near blindness.
To my mind, this is either manoeuvring by his political rivals or blatant discrimination against folk with physical disabilities. Given that it's nigh on impossible for disabled folk to go anywhere in this city, I've settled on the first reason. Now, unless the American and Australian governments are meddling in the so-called democratic processes here, which given their past interferences is quite possible, then where is the danger for westerners?
Still, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
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