If Bali Port Closes Tomorrow Don't Worry


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Posted by Neil from Sydney on Monday, 30. April 2001 at 21:51 Bali Time:

I suspect that potential visitors may send messages of concern to the forum within the next few hours.

That's because the parliament in Jakarta is tonight set to issue "the second memorandum" against President Abdurrahman Wahid (popularly known as Gus Dur). This memorandum is a stage in the constitutional process of removing the elected President.

Gus Dur's politico-religious base is in East Java - that part of Indonesia closest to Bali. Gus Dur was the religious leader of NU - a 40 million strong organisation of moderate moslems - before he entered representative politics directly at the last election. The Javanese rural Islam which is at the heart of NU is not a pure modern Islam - but contains lots of superstition, and with a place for mysticism. There are many NU supporters who believe Gus Dur has a place about ordinary mortal folk - that he has special magical powers. They will not take kindly to him being rolled by the Jakarta political elite.

It seems very likely that when the memorandum is passed by the parliament (DPR) - and it is virtually a forgone conclusion that it will be passed - that Gus Dur's supporters will take at least symbolic actions of support for their beleagured leader and against their perceived enemies.

Those actions in my opinion are most likely to be:
* the attacking of some rival political party HQs in East Java - particularly those belonging to Golkar, PAN and the PPP.
* the blocking of the port at Ketapang.

It is the latter that would be of particular concern of participants of the forum and potential Bali travellers - as this will stop all boat and vehicular traffic between Java and Bali.

The headline tomorrow may bleat : Bali Travel Blocked by Riots

IMHO there should be no cause for alarm (except over the quality of journalism). In Bali 95% of the population voted for a party that supports this action against Gus Dur. The action will generally be hailed as a good thing by the Balinese - as Megawati Sukarnoputri (who is a quarter Balinese and makes much of this ancestry when in Bali) is the heir apparent, waiting in the wings for her (former?) friend Mas Gus (brother Gus) to fall.

It'll be business as usual in Bali - except for buses to Java. But you can just fly right over East Java to Yogjakarta etc.

Keep cool! Go to Bali - it's always fun, no matter what's up in Java.




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