JP/7/LETS97

JP/7/LETS97

Restless Bali

All this started on Dec. 11, 2002, when returning to Jakarta
after celebrating Idul Fitri with my family in Malang, East Java,
I visited Bali for a couple of days and decided to take a railway
trip by executive class Mutiara Timur to see East Java's scenery.

Arriving at the Gilimanuk port, a team of mobile brigade
policemen checked the identity of every passenger of the bus
owned by Perumka (state-owned railway company). Since all
passengers were able to show their identity card (KTP), the
officers allowed the bus to continue to Denpasar.

At the Ubud bus station all passengers were again requested to
show their identity cards by a team of city security officers.
Then, one by one the names of passengers were called and recorded
in a book. We were then requested to ride in a vehicle owned by
law and order officers (tramtib) to their office in Kreneng, just
like a bunch of criminals.

On Dec. 12 we found ourselves in a kind of temporary detention
from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. inside the compound of the tramtib
office without any explanation.

At 1 a.m., a team of tramtib officers once again called the
passenger's name one by one and returned the identification
cards. Then, all the passengers were requested to enter a bus
which took them to back to Gilimanuk and finally to Java. This
contradicts the report in Radar Bali, Dec. 13, which stated that
the operation was aimed at visitors without ID cards.

I made a special consideration not to join the bus back to
Gilimanuk, but to Ngurah Rai Airport, arguing that I wanted to
returned to Jakarta. Thank God, the tramtib officers let me take
a taxi. But instead I stayed in Bali as planned and returned back
to Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia on Dec. 14.

If Bali provincial authorities wanted to limit "immigrants"
from Java who are suspected to be a burden for Bali, why not stop
them in Ketapang or Gilimanuk? The provincial administration can
open a "check-point" to distribute forms to be filled by visitors
who want to enter Bali.

And, after checking the forms, officials can issue an
"entrance permit" or otherwise "deportation". But this should be
done carefully. Among the unwanted visitors, there are domestic
tourists like myself and possibly low income Indonesian citizens
who just need to pass Bali and stop in Lombok to meet their
families, only because air transport is beyond their means. Do
they also deserve "deportation"?

We understand the attitude of the law and order officers after
the explosions in Bali. But, I think it is necessary for the
provincial administration to take a more civilized measure in
handling domestic visitors, particularly those who enter by land
transportation.

SLAMET ABADI
West Jakarta