U.S. EMBASSY  WARDEN MESSAGE

May 19 , 2008

U.S. Embassy Jakarta
U.S. Consulate General Surabaya
U.S. Consulate Medan

Warden Message - Demonstrations

The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, informs American citizens that rising food prices and an anticipated government announcement about a dramatic increase in fuel costs could trigger demonstrations in Jakarta and other cities.  Though the Embassy does not have any specific information on any scheduled demonstrations, the Embassy would like to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.  American citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.

The U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya intend to maintain normal consular services during demonstrations, but may have to close on short notice if security conditions prevent public access to the Embassy or Consulate grounds.  American citizens seeking consular services may call the Consular Sections at the numbers below before coming to the Embassy or Consulate to inquire about possible demonstrations.

Americans living and traveling in Indonesia are urged to register and update their contact information with the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, or U.S. Consular Agency in Bali.  Registration facilitates the U.S. Mission’s contact with Americans in emergency situations, and may be done on line and in advance of travel.  Information on registering can be found at the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Affairs website at http://travelregistration.state.gov and at the Embassy’s website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov.  All Travel Warnings, Public Announcements and recent warden messages are posted on the Embassy website.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The Embassy is located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 4-5, Jakarta; the 24-hour telephone number is 62-21-3435-9000.  The telephone number of the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya is 62-31-295-6400; the number for the U.S. Consulate in Medan is 62-61-415-2200; the number for the U.S. Consular Agency in Bali is 62-361-233-605.