Hilton hotel chain boosts Indonesian security after threat

JAKARTA - Hilton hotels in Indonesia ratcheted up security but said they were seeing few cancellations amid warnings from Western Governments that one of their chain could be attacked by militants.

Ian Mckie, general manager of the Bali Hilton International hotel on the resort island, said the United States Embassy told him on Wednesday that there could be an attack on a Hilton hotel in Indonesia. "They were specific in terms of dates. They said 15th or 16th of December," Mckie said by telephone yesterday.

The US Embassy issued a notice to Americans saying the threat of attack could increase over the Christmas and New Year period in the world's most populous Muslim nation, but did not mention specific targets.

Australia's Government on Wednesday said it had received credible information that an attack could take place soon, possibly against Western establishments such as a Hilton hotel. New Zealand issued a warning the same day, also referring to the Hilton chain.

Islamic militants linked to al Qaeda have launched several bomb attacks in recent years in Indonesia, hitting nightclubs in Bali, the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta and the Australian Embassy in the capital.

There are Hilton hotels in Jakarta, Bali and the East Java city of Surabaya.

Emeraldo Parengkuan, public relations director at the Hilton in Jakarta, said the hotel had decided not to inform all guests about the warnings.

"No, I don't think it is necessary to do so, it will just cause panic ... They can see that everything is under control.

"You can see the mood here is normal, just the usual, but you can see policemen and security guards in every corner," he said.

Mckie said some embassies, such as Australia's, had requested their citizens at the Bali Hilton be told individually about the threat, which had been done. A few other guests had approached him but the mood was still relaxed, he said.

Bali police had provided extra security, he added.

"So far we haven't had anyone check out and no bookings cancelled at this stage. If there is going to be an impact there is usually a little bit of a delay factor," Mckie said.

"I do believe that the frequency with which travel advisories get issued these days does tend to diminish the impact a little bit."

But Australia's Qantas Airways is offering full refunds with no penalties to travellers who cancel flights to Indonesia following the latest warning of possible bomb attacks there.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was due to attend an event at the Jakarta Hilton late last night, the hotel has said.

While the Australian warning appeared to take Indonesian police by surprise, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australian officials held extensive talks with their Indonesian counterparts throughout Wednesday about the threat.

Australia, a strong US ally and one of the first to join the war in Iraq, has never suffered a major terror attack on home soil, but 88 Australians were among 202 people killed in the nightclub bombings on Bali in 2002.

A car bomb outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on September 9 this year killed 10 people.

Indonesian police have blamed the Jemaah Islamiyah network, believed to be the regional arm of al Qaeda, for the bombings.

Canberra had already urged Australians to be on the alert, warning of a greater risk of attacks in Indonesia over Christmas and New Year.

Indonesia said it would boost security at hotels and churches over the holiday period.

- REUTERS