Following the Monday bomb attack which killed 20 and injured over 100, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has urged his citizens to continue traveling to Thailand.
He said they should refuse to be “cowed or intimidated.”
Speaking in Australian Parliament yesterday afternoon, Abbott said the bombing was an “attack on innocent people going about their daily lives” and that the event only strengthens the national resolve to combat terrorism, according to The Australian.
“Australians should continue to go to Thailand because the object of the sorts of people who let off bombs in crowded cities is to scare us from being ourselves and we should never be cowed or intimidated by that,” Abbott said.
“Nevertheless, Australians overseas should remain vigilant. They should monitor the Smartraveller website and they should exercise an appropriate degree of caution.”
“Attacks such as this only strengthen the resolve of government and the people of Australia, the people and the parliament of Australia, to do whatever we can to counter extremism and to combat terrorism.”
Bill Shorten, Leader of the Australian Labor Party, also condemned the attack, labeling it “crime of hatred.”
“At the very least, we know this is a crime of hatred, designed to provoke fear and as a nation, as a proud member of an international community, we say with one voice: it will not go unchallenged or unpunished, we will not change who we are because of this,” Shorten said.
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