[Nasional-e] Fears of ethnic cleansing if travel bans remain

Wed Nov 6 23:36:43 2002

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The Sydney Morning Herald
November 6 2002

Fears of ethnic cleansing if travel bans remain

By Hamish McDonald in Ubud

Prominent social figures in Bali warn that ethnic cleansing, like =
"another Ambon", could break out in the tourist paradise unless travel =
warnings placed by the Australian and other foreign governments are =
lifted within a few months.

With hotels and restaurants empty in the cultural centre of Ubud and the =
main southern beach resorts, the World Bank fears that Bali's 3 million =
people face mass unemployment, while lost confidence is likely to be =
felt in slower growth across the entire Indonesian economy.

In a report to foreign aid donors last week, the international =
development bank said a 20 per cent fall in foreign tourist arrivals in =
Bali could see about 361,000 people lose their jobs, more than 21 per =
cent of the total workforce.

In Ubud, high-ranking members of Bali's traditional Hindu social order =
have joined an effort to convince the islanders to stay calm and not =
seek vengeance. They are also trying to engineer ways of softening the =
economic impact. But they fear if Bali becomes a no-go area for tourists =
for longer than three months, there could be social chaos.

Ida Bagus Suarsana, a Brahmin (the highest, priestly caste in Hinduism) =
and related to the former royal house of Ubud, believed economic =
disruption was a goal of the terrorists who planted bombs in the Kuta =
beach resort. He owns two trendy restaurants in Ubud, now almost =
deserted like the other cafes, art galleries and spas around the town's =
maze of narrow streets.

"We hear from a lot of business owners that they are trying to be =
responsible to their staff, to keep them in jobs and not start mass =
firings," he said.=20

"They are starting to put them on a half a month's work and this is only =
a beginning. Everyone is mentioning they cannot hold this more than =
three months. The staff also cannot hold this more than three months; =
they have obligations.

"The island relies 90 per cent on tourism. That's why we fear the effect =
of the bombing. If we don't take action, not just our government but =
other countries [that] still have these travel bans, it could be like =
another Ambon. The Balinese will say, hopefully it will never happen ... =
[but] that's what we fear at the moment."

The three years of strife between Christians and Muslims on the Maluku =
island of Ambon has caused 6000 deaths.

Another leading figure in Ubud's cultural tourism, Gde Ariawan, also =
warned the Balinese could search for scapegoats and turn on the 10 per =
cent of the population from other parts of Indonesia who followed Islam =
or Christianity.=20

He referred to two blood-soaked chapters in Bali's history when tensions =
built to unbearable levels - the massacre of tens of thousands of =
communists after the army takeover in Jakarta in 1965-66 and the 1906 =
ritual self-sacrifice of thousands of Balinese warriors who advanced on =
Dutch machine guns, armed only with the traditional kris (dagger).

Meanwhile, across the island, the traditional village security system =
known as pecalang has been revived, with volunteers patrolling round the =
clock.

But the Balinese are unsettled by the sudden arrival of terrorism in =
their midst.

"We don't know who our enemy is really," Mr Suarsana said.=20

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/05/1036308311238.html
Copyright  =A9 2002. The Sydney Morning Herald.

Also the same article in The Age: "Bali alert raises payback fears"
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/05/1036308310924.html
Copyright =A9 2002 The Age Company Ltd.

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<DIV>The Sydney Morning Herald<BR>November 6 2002<BR><BR>Fears of ethnic =

cleansing if travel bans remain By Hamish McDonald in=20
Ubud Prominent social figures in Bali warn that ethnic cleansing, =
like=20
"another Ambon", could break out in the tourist paradise unless travel =
warnings=20
placed by the Australian and other foreign governments are lifted within =
a few=20
months. With hotels and restaurants empty in the cultural centre =
of Ubud=20
and the main southern beach resorts, the World Bank fears that Bali's 3 =
million=20
people face mass unemployment, while lost confidence is likely to be =
felt in=20
slower growth across the entire Indonesian economy. In a report =
to=20
foreign aid donors last week, the international development bank said a =
20 per=20
cent fall in foreign tourist arrivals in Bali could see about 361,000 =
people=20
lose their jobs, more than 21 per cent of the total workforce. In =
Ubud,=20
high-ranking members of Bali's traditional Hindu social order have =
joined an=20
effort to convince the islanders to stay calm and not seek vengeance. =
They are=20
also trying to engineer ways of softening the economic impact. But they =
fear if=20
Bali becomes a no-go area for tourists for longer than three months, =
there could=20
be social chaos. Ida Bagus Suarsana, a Brahmin (the highest, =
priestly=20
caste in Hinduism) and related to the former royal house of Ubud, =
believed=20
economic disruption was a goal of the terrorists who planted bombs in =
the Kuta=20
beach resort. He owns two trendy restaurants in Ubud, now almost =
deserted like=20
the other cafes, art galleries and spas around the town's maze of narrow =

streets. "We hear from a lot of business owners that they are =
trying to=20
be responsible to their staff, to keep them in jobs and not start mass =
firings,"=20
he said. "They are starting to put them on a half a month's work =
and=20
this is only a beginning. Everyone is mentioning they cannot hold this =
more than=20
three months. The staff also cannot hold this more than three months; =
they have=20
obligations. "The island relies 90 per cent on tourism. That's =
why we=20
fear the effect of the bombing. If we don't take action, not just our =
government=20
but other countries [that] still have these travel bans, it could be =
like=20
another Ambon. The Balinese will say, hopefully it will never happen ... =
[but]=20
that's what we fear at the moment." The three years of strife =
between=20
Christians and Muslims on the Maluku island of Ambon has caused 6000=20
deaths. Another leading figure in Ubud's cultural tourism, Gde =
Ariawan,=20
also warned the Balinese could search for scapegoats and turn on the 10 =
per cent=20
of the population from other parts of Indonesia who followed Islam or=20
Christianity. He referred to two blood-soaked chapters in Bali's =
history=20
when tensions built to unbearable levels - the massacre of tens of =
thousands of=20
communists after the army takeover in Jakarta in 1965-66 and the 1906 =
ritual=20
self-sacrifice of thousands of Balinese warriors who advanced on Dutch =
machine=20
guns, armed only with the traditional kris (dagger). Meanwhile, =
across=20
the island, the traditional village security system known as pecalang =
has been=20
revived, with volunteers patrolling round the clock. But the =
Balinese are=20
unsettled by the sudden arrival of terrorism in their midst. "We =
don't=20
know who our enemy is really," Mr Suarsana said. <A=20
href=3D"http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/05/1036308311238.html">htt=
p://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/05/1036308311238.html</A> Copyrigh=
t&nbsp;=20
=A9 2002. The Sydney Morning Herald. Also the same article in The =
Age:=20
"Bali alert raises payback fears" <A=20
href=3D"http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/05/1036308310924.html">=
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/05/1036308310924.html</A> Co=
pyright=20
=A9 2002 The Age Company Ltd.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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