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Hard boyz planning to hit aid workers in Aceh
New Zealand has warned that there is information of possible terrorist attacks on western aid workers involved in tsunami relief efforts in Aceh in Indonesia.New Zealand's foreign ministry has also upgraded its travel warning for Indonesia, saying non-essential travel to the country, even to the resort island of Bali, should be deferred. "The information we have, which is the same I understand as what the Australian's have received, does point to some quite specific and credible threats in terms of possible terrorist risks," New Zealand Foreign Ministry spokesman Brad Tattersfield told Radio New Zealand. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and Prime Minister John Howard discussed the threat to relief workers at their annual bilateral talks in Auckland on Sunday. Mr Howard said aid agencies had been advised that if they did not have an established security plan they should consider whether to remain in Indonesia. Both leaders said the warning would not affect their military aid to the region. New Zealand's foreign ministry said all travel to tsunami-devastated Aceh and northern Sumatra province should be cancelled. "Recent information suggests that terrorists may be planning attacks against foreigners involved in tsunami relief efforts in Aceh and other parts of northern Sumatra," the ministry said in a statement. New Zealanders should not travel to Banda Aceh or other parts of Aceh to work on humanitarian relief efforts unless "the aid organisation they work for has a robust security plan approved by the Indonesian authorities". "We recommend that New Zealanders not covered by such arrangements, or more generally concerned for their security, leave the area immediately." The foreign ministry said there was an ongoing risk of terrorist attacks in Indonesia, and recent reports suggested attacks on a range of targets could happen at any time. Last month Sweden and Denmark warned that they had received information that militants were planning to strike humanitarian organisations in Aceh. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-02-20 |
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