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Jakarta Post

Travel advice doesn't keep tourists from the beaches

The recent travel warning issued by the Australian government does not seem to have affected holiday-makers, as many popular tourist areas such as Kuta beach remain heavily populated by foreign tourists, Australian and otherwise

Andra Wisnu (The Jakarta Post)
Denpasar
Mon, November 3, 2008

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Travel advice doesn't keep tourists from the beaches

The recent travel warning issued by the Australian government does not seem to have affected holiday-makers, as many popular tourist areas such as Kuta beach remain heavily populated by foreign tourists, Australian and otherwise.

According to The Jakarta Post's observation, areas such as Sanur beach and Kuta beach remain inundated by tourists from all over the world.

Australian national Angelo Ieraci, 47, who has been in Bali for about a week, said he took the travel warning seriously but insisted on coming to Bali, since he had already made flights and accommodation bookings.

"You expect the Australian government to do what they can to protect their people you know, but since I'm already here, I'll leave it up to the Indonesian police", he said while walking along Kuta beach on Sunday.

"And I think they got pretty good intelligence on what's going on", he said.

On Sunday, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith warned Australians to reconsider travel plans to Bali and, if they insisted on going, to stay away from places that could be targeted for attack, as reported by the AFP.

Smith's comment was made in light of the Indonesian government's plan to execute the perpetrators of the 2002 Bali bombings sometime this month. The attacks killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

The government has delayed the execution of the three bombers, Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra, several times before. But increased security on Nusakambangan island in Cilacap, Central Java, where the three prisoners are being held, as well as at numerous checkpoints across Central Java and Bali, has led many to believe that the government is serious this time.

When asked about the government's plans to execute the bombers this month, Ieraci welcomed the decision.

"The Indonesian government should just end this and give people some closure", he said.

Australian Diana Joyce, 50, who traveled with Angelo, said she knew about the execution plan and the Australian travel warning that followed, but insisted on traveling because she believed that she can not hide from the threat of terrorism.

"Shit is going to happen anyway", she said. "We just carry on".

Erik Johnsen, 28, from Norway's capital of Oslo, said he knew about the Australian travel advisory because he often checks for travel warnings issued on the countries he planned to visit.

Johnsen, who arrived in Bali on Tuesday, said the travel warning does not ruin his plans to surf Kuta beach's waves though, adding that he may consider staying away from crowded areas.

"Of course you always take (travel warnings) seriously, but what do those governments know anyway", he said.

Bali Provincial Police Chief Insp. Gen. Ashikin Husein said the police have deployed 3,500 police officers in the street as a preemptive measure against any possible attack.

He said the police have not detected any signs of a direct threat and gave the go-ahead for the execution.

The bombers, who have been placed in isolation, which suggests an execution is imminent, will be executed by firing squad.

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