Gentlemen, (And I use the term politely), you have both hit the nail on the head. The issue (although not only Balinese in origin) is - do the Jakartan based Government have the balls to stand up to the rising tide of fundamentalist doctrine which will possibly destroy your entire nation! This is a nation which NEEDS foreign investment and the comfort factor that a secure government can supply.

hate even mentioning it, because every Indonesian has the right to be pissed off about it. From memory you need permission to reside or travel in a different Residency anyway, so maybe it would work. But the REAL answer is to cool down the entire situation. To do that the average Indonesian has to speak out against the lunatics who have hijacked Islam in Indonesia. and the West has to reciprocate. The West is not innocent…. We need to fix up our side of the garden!!!

Quote: Originally posted by Polar Bear: One suggestion to help Bali. give it semi autonomy, and prevent non Balinese Indonesians from visiting the island. that's probably the only practical way of dealing with the problem. any declaration of political independence by bali would guarrantee that bali would be a war zone, or at the very least a zone of instablilty, for perhaps decades, during which absolutely no-one would go to the island as a tourist.

One suggestion to help Bali. give it semi autonomy, and prevent non Balinese Indonesians from visiting the island. Its a horrible thing to even consider, it is VERY unfair, and if I were Indonesian I would be REALLY angry at the idea. But i think it is the only thing that will make foriegn tourists feel safe!!!

I am so sorry about this, but this is the real truth: Prior to 911 the average Australian tourist was happy to go to Bali for a couple of weeks a year. My next door neighbours went 3 times a year. I remember once asking them if they liked Indonesia and they said "oh no, we go to Bali, not Indonesia". after 911 some began to realise that they were hoidaying in an Islamic country, but it still didnt seem like it. The Balinese people were sweet, kind, and gentle. Bali was paradise.

Tourism in Bali still stagnant five months after blasts Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar Balinese involved in the tourist industry are increasingly worried about the imminent threat of massive layoffs due to the drastic drop in tourist arrivals on the island. Four months after Bali was rocked by suicide bombings on Oct. 1, 2005, the tourist industry has yet to bounce back.

Batam's long wait for investors Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam Many industrial areas in Batam, Riau Islands province have been forced to discontinue promoting their sites due to a lack of interest from investors. Secretary of the Industrial Areas Association (HKI) in Batam, Eddy Akun told The Jakarta Post that several industrial complexes have stopped promotion abroad.