Tragedy unites Bali's multiethnic population

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Bali Governor I Dewa Made Beratha arrived at the bomb site in Kuta shortly after the bomb exploded at 11:15 p.m. last Saturday. He immediately took over command to coordinate the police and local leaders to evacuate the victims of the tragic bombing. At 2 a.m., the governor rushed to Sanglah General Hospital, where he helped coordinate efforts to deal with badly burned victims. He said very little during the chaotic hours; he just worked and worked, lending a calm confidence to the outnumbered hospital staff. He has been in and out of the hospital since Saturday night to encourage hospital staff and comfort the victims and families. He has barely slept since the fatal explosion. Looking desperately tired, the governor shared his feelings and future plans for Bali with The Jakarta Post and Kompas daily.

Question: How did you feel to see such an incident in Bali?

Answer: I was ... terribly sad that this happened in a peaceful land like Bali. But, it has already occurred. I give my deepest condolences to the victims and their families. I would really appreciate it to have everybody on my side. It is really ... a really tragic event.

Will the bombing tragedy instill religious enmity between Hindu followers and other religious beliefs, especially the Muslim minority?

If the perpetrators of the bombing had any intention to provoke Hindu and Muslim, or other faiths, conflict in Bali, they completely failed. This tragedy has actually united all people in Bali, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity or religion. As you can see, all religious leaders and their followers have worked closely together to offer what they can to help those affected by the tragic incident. A series of religious ceremonies following the incident was participated in by all religious congregations.

However, we have heard that some Balinese traditional security guards (pecalang) had conducted a sweeping operation against immigrants, especially Muslims from Java and other islands in Indonesia. What do you think about this?

That was a bad rumor indeed. Only five hours after the bombing, I invited all the leaders of bendesa adat (traditional customary village) and noted leaders of the five major religions in Bali to sit together to view the event as a real human tragedy.

We should not blame any people of certain religion or ethnicity. It is not the right time for us to argue about who is responsible for this barbaric bomb attack. The Indonesian police and a team of international investigators have been doing their work comprehensively. Traditional and religious leaders have a strong responsibility to stand by their people -- to calm them down, to stand by them and to prevent them from doing harmful things that will exacerbate the situation.

The bombing attack has certainly ruined the image of Bali as one of the safest and favorite tourist destinations in Indonesia. What will you do to improve the shattered face of Bali?

Yes, of course. The incident will adversely affect our tourism and other businesses like textile and garments. It will also cause huge unemployment problems since 30 percent of the province's human resources are now working in direct tourism- related businesses.

We have already anticipated such a bleak situation. But, we must not just sit doing nothing. We have to join forces -- people in the tourist industry are trying to contact their counterparts overseas to repromote Bali.

I have already sent e-mails to tourism authorities worldwide to plead with them to rescind their travel bans against Bali and Indonesia in general. The Japanese travel agencies have responded fast, saying they could continue sending holidaymakers to Bali. That would be a relief. Last night (Thursday night), the Indian ambassador to Indonesia also confirmed that the Indian Cultural Festival in Bali (opened on Friday night) would go on as scheduled.

What are your short- and long-term programs to rebuild Bali?

Physically, it will take only a matter of months to renovate the destroyed buildings. We have received full support from the central government to start a reconstruction project on the affected site and its surrounding areas.

But to regain its status as a safe and convenient tourist and business center will take a long, long time. The Balinese people are still in shock; foreigners are suffering from trauma. But, I am optimistic that if the investigation arrives at the right conclusion really finds the perpetrators, people around the world could think that Indonesia is very serious in dealing with barbaric terrorism. I am sure holidaymakers will again consider visiting Bali again.

As for the Balinese people, I also urge them to expand their businesses outside the tourism industry, which is very vulnerable to global events.

In the post-bombing period, how will the local government protect the area from any other threats and possible danger?

We are now enforcing tightened security checks in several entries such as at the Ngurah Rai International Airport, Benoa harbor in Sanur, Padang Bai harbor in Karang Asem (East Bali) and Gilimanuk in West Bali. Tourist centers like Kuta, Nusa Dua, Sanur and other public places will also be guarded both by traditional guards pecalang and the police.

But, this will be separate from the operation to control the influx of non-Balinese.