Indonesia welcomes tourists, assures safety
Friday, 12 December 2008, 15:55 IST
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Kolkata: Indonesia is one of the "safest destinations" in the world and tourists can visit the country without any security fear, a top diplomat of that country claimed here Thursday. "I would like to welcome all the members of the international community to visit different parts of Indonesia. They should not fear anything about terrorism as it's perhaps one of the safest destinations across the globe," Indonesian Ambassador to India Andi M. Ghalib said at an interactive session, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). "I've seen the terrorist attacks that took place in India last month on television. But in Indonesia, we've adequate security arrangements and our police and intelligence are very strong," he added. Ghalib said countries could overcome the menace of terrorism with effective judiciary and military systems. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is a tourists' magnet in Southeast Asia. In the past few years, the country has witnessed several terrorist strikes leading to a significant fall in the number of tourist footfalls. In 2005, suicide terrorist squads struck Bali island, with a series of bombings at two sites - Jimbaran and Kuta. According to reports, about 20 people were killed and 129 people were injured in attacks by three suicide bombers.
Source: IANS
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