Fed: Howard says he will go to Bali despite security risk
CANBERRA, Aug 10 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard said today he will still attend aceremony to mark the first anniversary of the Bali bombing despite an increased securityrisk.
A bomb attack on a Jakarta hotel last week which killed 10 and injured almost 150 peoplehas raised concerns of more terrorist attacks in Indonesia.
However Mr Howard said it was important that he attend the October 12 ceremony to rememberthe Bali nightclub bombings which killed 202 people including 88 Australians.
"I would think myself it would send a very bad signal if the Australian prime ministerdidn't go," Mr Howard told the Nine Network.
"I would expect a very big Australian turnout, obviously there could be a change inthe security assessment but it (would) take a very big change as far as I'm concernedto stop me from attending."
Mr Howard it would be a distraction in the Australia-Indonesia relationship if Australialobbied against a death sentence handed down to the Indonesian man Amrozi for his rolein the Bali bombings.
"If the focus of exchange between Australia and Indonesia over the next few monthsbecomes an argument as to ... whether or not he should be executed, that would be quitea confusing distraction, Mr Howard said.
"People will think this is a bit odd, this man killed 88 Australians, he's been sentencedto death and the Australian government is asking that he not be executed."
AAP pj/cat
KEYWORD: BALI HOWARD
No comments:
Post a Comment