Australia braces for Indonesian backlash

CANBERRA - Australia is bracing for a backlash as Prime Minister John Howard warned the nation's reputation had been damaged by the terror threat targeting the Indonesian embassy in Canberra.

As he revealed bacteria sent in an abusive letter to the embassy was unlikely to be harmful, Mr Howard said it was an act of evil which had done deplorable damage to the perception of Australia in Indonesia.

A water cannon has been set up outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta and security is being reviewed amid fears extremists will seek revenge.

Indonesian authorities have also promised to boost security for Schapelle Corby at her Bali jail, after the terror threat was linked to community outrage over the 20-year jail term she received for drug smuggling.

Tests continued today on bacteria detected in a powder sent with the letter, which was posted from Victoria after Corby's sentencing last Friday.

The incident sparked a security shutdown at the site, forcing about 50 staff to be quarantined before decontamination experts were called in to process them.

Tests have shown the bacteria is not anthrax -- which caused at least four deaths in a terror campaign in the United States shortly after the September 11 attacks.

Mr Howard said the letter, which was written in Indonesian, appeared to be linked to Corby's 20-year jail sentence for drug smuggling.

"It's hard to escape the belief that there was a connection, let's put it that way," Mr Howard said.

He said there was a chance that terrorists could hit Australian interests in Indonesia in revenge for the intimidatory action.

The Australian embassy in Jakarta was hit by a car bomb last September, killing nine Indonesians.

"Insofar as possible retaliatory action in Indonesia is concerned, there is always a danger of that," Mr Howard told parliament.

"Just as we cannot guarantee that a random act of stupidity with an evil intent from amongst our 20 million people will not occur, equally I cannot expect a guarantee from the Indonesian government that some evil act of retaliation will not occur in that country."

The fallout from the incident is already being felt.

Indonesian legislator Joko Susilo, who sits on Indonesia's House Foreign Affairs Committee, today urged his government to issue travel warnings advising Indonesians not to travel to Australia.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla rejected the call, despite Susilo warning the incident proved Australians were capable of committing their own acts of terrorism.

Three Indonesian National Police officers and an Indonesian agriculture ministry official have joined the hunt for the hoaxer, who could face up to 10 years in jail for the crime.

"The sending of that particular letter was designed to cause major disruption and instil fear," AFP ACT chief police officer John Davies told reporters.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd visited Indonesian ambassador Imron Cotan today and said the relationship between the two countries was strong enough to survive the fallout from the incident.

But he said some people would always be critical of Australia.

"There are folk in Jakarta both in politics and the press who will always whack Australia for good reason or for bad," Mr Rudd told ABC radio.

"The problem with this (incident) ... it simply provides them an opportunity to whack a bit harder."

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer described the letter as abusive and said it was "more likely than not" linked to the Corby case.

"My plea to Australians is really, whatever you think about the Schapelle Corby case ... to remember that abusing and denigrating Indonesia is not likely to be helpful," Mr Downer said.

"A whole lot of invective and abuse of Indonesia is just going to get their backs up."

Mr Howard dampened suggestions the incident would cause lasting damage to bilateral relations between the countries.

"I think it's important that we don't throw up our arms in horror and say the relationship is destroyed," he said.

The government is reviewing security for Australian diplomats and staff in Indonesia and is promising to upgrade it if necessary.

A parliamentary delegation will meet senior Indonesian ministers next week to express Australia's regret.

Corby's legal adviser Vasu Rasiah said nothing positive had or could come from the threat.

"She (Corby) is very upset because it is all not positive, this can't help the case or help Australians or help Indonesians," he said.

"Whichever way you look at this incident, it is a negative incident, there is not one positive impact."

The terror scare made headlines across Indonesia, with Jawa Pos Daily News said Indonesia's embassy was terrorised by "anthrax" in the wake of Corby's 20-year sentence for trafficking 4.1kg of marijuana.

- AAP