Current Security Situation

Despite recent security warnings about Indonesia, the situation in Yogyakarta, where ACICIS students pursue their studies at host universities, is still safe and calm.

During emergency situations, ACICIS follows an agreed risk management strategy. The Resident Director (RD) is in constant contact with students and they are advised to maintain maximum caution and refrain from travelling to places that have been deemed unsafe. The RD is always on call, available to any students wishing to speak with him at any time.

Unusual volcanic activity at Mount Merapi, north of Yogya, has been monitored closely by ACICIS staff in Australia and Indonesia, and students are being kept up to date about its status. Despite warnings being reduced to alert level, Mount Merapi and its surrounding areas are off-limits for ACICIS students until further notice.

Despite ongoing incidents, ACICIS policy remains that the program continues to operate but if any student wishes to leave, they are free to do so. The RD will regularly update students on the overall security situation in Indonesia, outlining the implications and the options open to them.

From their arrival in Indonesia, students are registered with the Australian Embassy and are informed when Australian Government travel advisories are reviewed with new safety and security information. They are instructed to maintain the highest possible level of personal security at all times.

The RD liaises closely with the host university staff to ensure there is a high level of appreciation on the importance of security at all times. There have never been any reports of ACICIS students in Indonesia being unduly targeted or suffering increased harassment. The mood at the host universities and the communities within which the students reside continues to be calm and welcoming.

Professor David Hill
ACICIS Consortium Director
April 2008