Discontentment grows at tourist projects in Bali

Discontentment grows at tourist projects in Bali

JAKARTA (JP): On a rainy morning in February l994, thousands
of people strolled the major streets of Denpasar, the capital of
Bali, Indonesia's most popular tourist destination.

Religious processions involving huge numbers of people are
common in Bali, where religious and traditional values are
strongly held. It is a part of their cultural life, which has
strong tourist appeal.

But that February's procession, which involved Bali's
prominent scholars, artists and religious leaders, did not
attract tourists and it did not wind toward a pura (Hindu temple)
or other sacred places. Instead, the procession marched to the
provincial House of Representatives office to protest against the
regional government's approval of the construction of a
multimillion dollar holiday resort, Bali Nirwana Resort.

The planned resort is located within walking distance of Pura
Tanah Lot, one of the holiest temples for Hindu Bali devotees.
Built in the 15th century, the temple is located in Tabanan
regency, 40 kilometers south of Denpasar.

For many Balinese, the US$200 million project, due to open
next month, threatens the sanctity of the temple. The project
violates a gubernatorial decree which protects the temple from
tourist development.

The feeling of discontent among the Balinese was so strong
that for the first time, the central board of the Parishada Hindu
Dharma, the highest Hindu body, has sharply criticized the Bali
provincial government for issuing permits for this controversial
project. According to Parishada, any development unrelated to
religious needs is forbidden within a two kilometer radius of
Pura Tanah Lot.

Waves of protests, demonstrations and parliamentary debates on
the luxury resort project has continued since construction
started two years ago.

Controversy over the Bali Nirwana project is more than a
simple tale of modernity clashing with traditional beliefs and
values. It is a common problem facing almost all developing
nations in maintaining their cultural heritage amid rapidly
growing economic forces.

French anthropologist Michel Picard, an expert on Balinese
culture and tourism, told The Jakarta Post that the mounting
protests against the project are very serious.

Picard said many Balinese are becoming tired of various
touristic activities that have long been eroding their cultural
and traditional values. The Bali Nirwana project is just one
example of a lack of communication between the government,
investors and the host communities. There will be many more
development activities which will arouse bitter opposition from
local people, he warned.

Opposition

In the past few years, protests have been lodged against
several ambitious tourist projects such as the construction of
the 149-meter Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue in Jimbaran and five-
star holiday resorts in Ubud, Gianyar, which swallowed the
regency's rice fields and residential areas.

But, in the case of the Bali Nirwana project, the protest is
much stronger. Local people have taken a firm stance. It is the
first time the majority of Balinese have dared to express their
displeasure of the government over the development of tourist
facilities, since the island was widely exposed and promoted for
tourism and investment several decades ago, Picard said.

"More and more Balinese people are now becoming aware of the
importance of maintaining their cultural and traditional beliefs
rather than sacrificing them for the sake of tourism," he
explained.

One of Bali's most respected religious leaders Ibu Gedong
Bagoes Oka once led her congregation in a special ritual. Their
prayers were directed against the Bali Nirwana project. "We are
against Bali becoming the pleasure park of the world," warned Ibu
Gedong.

True, Bali is now a paradise for many backpackers as well as
affluent tourists. Ubud, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran offer luxurious
and sophisticated holiday resorts completed with art adventures
for the affluent. The beautiful Kuta, Sanur and Legian beaches,
which were once a source of aesthetic inspiration for world-class
artists, have been transformed into glittering entertainment
places to cater to low to middle-class tourists.

Lines of cafes, restaurants, pubs and high-decibel discos are
emerging in every corner of Kuta. The smell of flowers and dupa
(incest) which used to fill Kuta's air has been replaced by the
aroma of alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and even marijuana smoked
by foreigners as well as local people. The mantra has been
replaced by heavy metal and grunge music.

Prosperity

There is no denying that tourist development has brought
greater economic prosperity to the island's three million
populace.

Tourism with activities such as handicrafts and cottage
industries has boosted the island's economic growth, replacing
agriculture as the leading sector of its Gross Domestic Regional
Product. Signs of prosperity are seen everywhere on the island
since Ngurah Rai International Airport was opened for domestic
and foreign travel in l969.

Offering white sands, pristine beaches and centuries-old
cultural traditions, Bali attracts about 2 million visitors from
Asia-Pacific countries, Europe, America and Canada, or 30 percent
of Indonesia's total foreign visitors.

Bali is the country's top earner in tourism. No other place in
Indonesia enjoys this status.

There are more than 200 star-rated hotels with occupancy rates
of 59.37 percent compared with Jakarta which reaches at only
56.36 percent. About one fourth of Bali has been developed for
tourism.

An official of the regional tourism planning agency boasts
that if there was no tourism, Bali could not develop. "In Bali,
there is no other choice," the official said.

Yet the uneven distribution of tourism's economic benefits
within the population and throughout the island, as well as the
growing encroachment of foreign interests, remain of serious
concern, not to mention the severe degradation of the environment
which is rapidly eroding the island's touristic appeal.

Tourism has also has serious social and cultural implications.
This is the price the Balinese have to pay as their culture
becomes a tourist interest.

Ida Bagus Ratta, a professor at Udayana University, however,
named cultural disrespect as a more serious threat to the
Balinese identity and cultural heritage.

The professor said government officials, private investors,
tourists as well as local people should learn more about the
culture and traditions of Balinese people.

Many people also accuse the provincial government of "selling"
their land to money-oriented investors. For this, the local
government has a good reason, as Governor Ida Bagus Oka pointed
out with: "We want to spread the economic prosperity throughout
the province. All development projects are aimed at improving the
life of local people."

The governor's remark is probably right. Those living near
the Bali Nirwana project have found the value of their land has
increased. One resident sold his three hectares of paddy fields
for Rp 300 million ($127,660).

"It is enough to buy a car and a house near the village," he
smiled.

But is it just a matter of money? (raw)