Lhokseumawe, June 08: Indonesia has banned foreigners from visiting tourist resorts in war-torn Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said. "For the time being, we don't expect the presence of foreigners at some tourist resorts in Aceh, as the condition of security in the region in which the military restoration operations to crush rebels is going on is not favourable at present,” Yudhoyono said yesterday.
The minister said the ban had to do with the shooting of two German nationals, Hendrik Albert, 54, and Eli Sabert Margaret, 49, two days ago. Hendrik Albert was killed in the incident, while his wife sustained a gunshot wound. They were the first foreign casualties in the government's security restoration operations, launched as part of its integrated operations to crush the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh.
The minister said such a ban for foreigners from entering Aceh is only for tourism sector which in a not-too-distant time will be formulated as the government's policy. In addition, he added, the government will also review the presence and activity of non governmental organisations and foreign journalists assigned to Aceh.
Bureau Report