Restless Bali

Restless Bali

All this started on Dec. 11, 2002, when returning to Jakarta after having 'Lebaran' with family in Malang-East Java, I allowed myself to visit Bali for a couple of days, I decided to take railway trip by executive class Mutiara Timur for longing to see the scenery of East Java.

Arriving at the Gilimanuk port, a team of policemen of Brimob (mobile brigade), checked the identity of every passenger of the bus owned by Perumka (state-owned railway company). Since all passengers can show their identity card (KTP), the officers released the bus to continue to Denpasar. In Ubud bus station, Denpasar, all passengers of the Perumka's bus - and as long as I remembered the passengers of other busses also - were once again requested to show their identity card by a team of Denpasar's city security officers. Then, one by one the name of the passenger was called and recorded in a book. We were then requested to ride in the topless back container of a truck owned by tramtib like a bunch of criminal who take us to the tramtib office in Kreneng.

We found ourselves in a kind of temporary detention for more or less three hours from 9:30 p.m. up to 1 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2002 inside the compound of 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 card. Then, all passengers who had received back their ID card were requested to enter the bus rented by Denpasar's city government who took them to back to Gilimanuk and finally to Java. This fact was true contradiction to the news in Radar Bali, Dec. 13, 2002 that stated such operation was intended to visitors without ID Card.

I myself, requested a special consideration not to join the bus back to Gilimanuk, but to Ngurah Rai Airport by argument that I wanted to returned to Jakarta, instead of East Java. Thank God, the tramtib officers released me to take taxi. But, I did not go to the Airport. Instead, I stayed in Bali as planned and returned back to Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia on Dec. 14, 2002.

If Bali provincial authorities, wanted to limit "immigrants" from Java who are suspected to become "burden" for Bali, why not intercepted them in Ketapang or Gilimanuk? Bali provincial administration, can open a kind of "check-point" to distribute forms to be filled by visitors who want to enter Bali. And, after checking the forms, Bali provincial administration, officials can issue a kind of "entrance permit" or otherwise "deportation". But this should be done carefully. Among the unwanted visitors, there are true domestic tourist like myself and possibly low-social class Indonesian citizen who just needs to pass Bali and stop in Lombok to see his/her family in Bali, only because air transport is unaffordable. Are they also deserved for "deportation"?

We can accept and understand the attitude of tramtib team of Denpasar city because we know Balinese is now restless due to the notorious explosion in Sari Club & Paddy recently.

But, I think it is necessary for Bali provincial administration, to take more honorable and civilized measure in handling domestic visitors, particularly those who enter by land transportation. Incorrect/careless measure may trigger racial hatred and anarchy, which finally will inflict loss to Bali.

SLAMET ABADI, West Jakarta