Kuta cafe owners in rift with locals on religious reason
By Putu Wirata
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Owners of 30 cafes along the Kuta beach are now in conflict with the Hindu community in the area.
People want the cafes to be demolished because they disturb the annual religious ceremony performed by the Hindus along the beach. The Badung administration, which has the authority over Kuta, has agreed that by October, all of the cafes must be torn down.
The protest against the cafes was made through the Forum on the Preservation of Kuta, a Non Government Organization which gains support from 23 customary villages around Kuta. Every year the Hindus perform a universe purification ceremony along the beach.
"Just imagine, when the Hindus are praying, the cafes are serving drinks to guests, some of whom are wearing underwear only," the forum leader, Made Suwedja, said.
As a matter of fact, the problems started a few years ago after the Badung administration cleared the bushes along the beach and allowed people to erect tents and operate cafes there. Kuta has always been a favorite tourist attraction. Hundreds of colorful tents become shelters for visitors who come to enjoy the panorama, not to mention the wonderful sunsets.
The operation of the cafes and the semi-permanent tents, however, is opposed by nearby hotels, whose restaurants also face the Kuta beach. The hotel owners say that the cafes block the view of the hotel guests.
They also referred to regulations stating that there should not be any permanent building located between 50 and 100 meters from the beach.
The Badung administration then issued a new regulation: each of the tents must have only one supporting pole instead of four.
But for the Hindu community, this does not solve the problem. One-pole and four-pole tents are just the same. What bothers them most is the tourists wearing swimsuits, sitting under the tents or laying on the beach, watching the procession of thousands of Hindus carrying statues and other sacred objects.
The cafes themselves have enjoyed good business. Gusti Ngurah Rai, chairman of the Union of Kuta Cafe Owners, said that its 30 members have about six employees each and generate income of about Rp 12 million per month. The cafe owners, who have invested some Rp 40 million each, cooperate with the Central Cooperative of the Armed Forces. Each cafe sets aside about Rp 500,000 a month for the cooperative.
In the spirit of reform, the Forum for the Preservation of Kuta launched their strong protest against the operation of the cafes. They talked with officials at the Badung administration, the Wirasatya local military resort command and the Udayana military command, which covers Bali and some other provinces. Badung Regent Gusti Alit Putra then decided on June 30 that all cafes along the Kuta beach must be demolished by October.
But something unexpected happened. The Forum, as well as the Kuta Community Welfare Organization, which supports the decision, were terrorized by threatening phone calls and letters from a group who called themselves the Hungry People.
Gusti Ngurah Rai denied that his organization had anything to do with the terror. He said that the cafe owners would cooperate to preserve the Kuta beach and try to put things in order. He even offered to contribute some money to the customary villagers and respect the religious ceremony along the beach by closing the cafe for the public when the rituals take place.
Many people insist that all of the cafes must be torn down but they doubt whether the government will do this. Will the authorities be tough and take stern measures against the cafe owners? Isn't there any other "power" behind the business people? In the meantime, Gusti Rai has stated that he would sue the Badung administration if they decided to demolish the cafes. He argues that the cafes were built with the government's approval, even though they are too close to the beach.