School Fears It Is Easy Target

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday October 23, 2002

Matthew Moore, Herald Correspondent, in Jakarta

The Australian International School in Jakarta has asked the Federal Government for a $US2.5 million ($4.5 million) interest-free loan to rebuild on a safer site and allow it to continue operating in Indonesia.

Its 440 students have not been to classes since the principal, Penny Robertson, sent them home following the Bali bombings and the Government's warning to Australian residents that they should consider leaving the country.

Students at the other Western schools the American Jakarta International School and the British International School are on holidays but are expecting to return to class next Monday unless there are further warnings.

Police and security officers across Indonesia have stepped up anti-terrorist measures in the wake of concerns by most foreign embassies of the danger of further bomb attacks.

All vehicles are being searched before they enter underground car parks, metal detectors are used at hotels and other venues frequented by Westerners, and police numbers have been increased at airports around the country.

The United States and British governments issued new travel warnings late on Monday. The US embassy told Americans to ``avoid large gatherings and locations known to cater to a foreign clientele including, but not limited to, resorts, tourist sights, nightclubs, bars, restaurants and places of worship".

So far, the US has not matched Australian warnings specifically advising people to avoid schools, although it has sent home around 300 workers and dependents, many of whom were at the American school.

The American and British schools are considered less at risk than the Australian school because they are in safer parts of Jakarta and have better security facilities.

The Australian school has already bought land for a new school but says the security issues in Indonesia have now made it much harder to find a commercial lender to build on its new site.

Currently the Australian school has several buildings beside a road, making them difficult to protect from grenade attacks or car bombs.

The school wants to put a playing field between the road and buildings at a new site to minimise the risk of attack.

It has been attacked in the past and Ms Robertson told a meeting of more than 500 Australians last week that she believed security was not good enough for her to reopen the school.

The school has written to the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, saying it had already been the target of a grenade and several firebomb attacks.

``Unfortunately our current location is in the heart of radical Islamic territory and the new land we have purchased provides us with a much safer and more secure site," Ms Robertson wrote. ``We need to be able to assure parents that their children will be safe ..."

A spokesman for Mr Downer said yesterday the Government was considering the request.

© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home