Swiss embassy recommends holidaymakers leave Indonesian island

The Swiss embassy in Indonesia recommends all nationals should leave or avoid the island of Lombok, while riot police are trying to control sectarian violence. More than 20 tourists staying with Hotelplan and Vögele had been evacuated on Tuesday to Bali.

The Swiss embassy in Indonesia recommends all nationals should leave or avoid the island of Lombok, while riot police are trying to control sectarian violence. More than 20 tourists staying with Hotelplan and Vögele had been evacuated on Tuesday to Bali.

The embassy is also in contact with 22 Swiss nationals resident on Lombok, who have decided for the time-being to remain on the island. So far, foreigners have not been the target of any attacks which have been directed against Christian minorities.

The Swiss foreign ministry has added Lombok to the areas of Indonesia it is warning Swiss citizens to avoid, such as the Moluccas island group, East Timor and Aceh province on Sumatra.

Riots erupted on Monday on Lombok after a Moslem rally urging an end to Christian-Moslem bloodshed in the Moluccas turned violent. At least eight people were shot and 11 churches destroyed in and around the island capital, Mataram. About a thousand non-Moslems sought refuge at military and police headquarters or fled the island.

Around 600 policemen have been sent to Lombok, in an attempt to restore law and order.

From staff and wire reports