How is the political situation in Indonesia, which parts do I have to avoid? possibly IŽll go in december 2003

First, don't get too intimidated by what is written in the western press, most of Indonesia is safe with very friendly people, as you soon will discover when you go there.

Indonesia has about 220 million people, unfortunately among these there is a small group of religious fanatics who don't respect any human life. In recent years a number of bombs have been set off in the big cities like Jakarta, Medan and Manado. As far as I know no western tourists have been killed in these bomb attacks that has mainly been targeted at shopping malls and churches. The exception is of course the terrible terrorist attack on two nightclubs on Bali 12th of October 2002 which claimed more than 200 lives and many more injured. There is now a trial going on in Bali against those who were behind the bombing.

In Maluku there has been religious fightings between Muslims and Christians since 1998, more than 6000 have died. Northern Maluku is now opened for travellers again, while Ambon and South Maluku is still a little bit restless, and you need a permit to travel there (as of June 2003). However some people have travelled to Banda and Kai islands with no problems, and have organized the permit with the local police there, I would however prefer to do that beforehand, in order to avoid to have to pay excessive bribes (fines). Keep an eye on the situation though, as renewed problems may arise.

The OPM guerilla on Irian Jaya have been fighting for independence for decades, and now and then there are reports of trouble there, like kidnapping of foreigners. Travelers may need permits to visit certain regions in the Irian Jaya province. Staying in the big cities is considered to be safe, and check the conditions before you visit the more remote areas, many travellers visit irian Jaya every year without problems.

Aceh at the northern tip of Sumatra should be avoided at the time beeing. Officially all foreign tourists have been banned to enter Aceh from June 2003.

Sulawesi is safe, except for the Poso district in Central Sulawesi which has seen clashes between Christians and Muslims. According to Lonely Planet the Philippine terrorist organization Abu Sayyaf is said to be active in North Sulawesi. I have never seen that mention anywhere else, I was there recently, and this is a very safe place to visit.

West-Timor was considered to be unsafe the months before and after the independence of East-Timor, and you should still keep an eye open if you visit this area.

Fightings between the indigenous Dayak population and migrant Madurese on West Kalimantan has occurred several times, eight times in the last two decades. Actually many Madurese were beheaded during the worst clashes, today thousands of Madurese refugees are sheltering in the West Kalimantan capital, Pontianak. I have not seen any reports of violence here lately.

Lombok island east of Bali saw some religious unrest in January 2000, with several people dead and many churches burnt down. The situation is today under control, and Lombok is considered to be a safe destination.

As you can see from the above, Indonesia has it's share of problems, and to say it is a perfectly safe place would be a lie. But you should have in mind that this is a huge country with more than 220 million people, and there is very few reports of travellers who have encountered any problems. On the contrary, the large majority feel very safe and get along very well with the friendly people of Indonesia. In general looting and other criminality is relatively rare here, even if it has increased considerably since the monetary crisis.

Just stay away from the trouble spots like Aceh, don't be naive and keep your eyes open, as you would in any country, and you will enjoy your time here!