Travel advisory for Indonesia upgraded to warning

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department upgraded its travel advisory for Indonesia, warning U.S. citizens for the first time to "defer all non-essential travel" to the country and neighboring islands of Aceh, Maluku, Papua and West Timor.

The warning noted that Indonesia has experienced a rash of bombings in the past several months. "The U.S. Embassy has had indications that this wave of bombings may continue and that U.S. interests may be targeted," it said.

The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta has been closed for a week because of threats and is not expected to open Friday, Nov. 3 at the earliest. A State Department official told CNN he "would be very surprised if the embassy would reopen this week."

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The warning supersedes several travel advisories issued over the past week about Indonesia.

The official said the State Department upgraded the caution to a warning because of increased threats to the U.S. Embassy and to the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Robert Gelbard.

"The situation has deteriorated and the possibility for violence against Americans has spread to a significantly wider range of the country," the official said. "It has really worsened."

The new advisory said there has been a "rise in anti-American rhetoric" by some national and political leaders and extremists groups. "There have been a number of acts of intimidation and violence directed at American companies and U.S. diplomatic facilities," it said.

It also cited threats on the island of Java, in the central city of Solo (Surakarta). A number of Islamic groups visited hotels in that area Sunday, undertaking "sweeps." They tried to identify American citizens and ordered them to depart the country.

"Security officials have sometimes been unwilling or unable to intervene," the advisory said.

Americans advised against travel to Jakarta
October 31, 2000
Indonesian troops begin seizing militias' weapons
September 29, 2000

U.S. State Department - Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets

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