BALI BOMB (Bali)

Member Name: Aang

Product:	Bali
Date:	14/10/02 (576 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Magical

Disadvantages: The army

"The CIA bombed Indonesia," said Irfan, as we dined on rijstaffel in the Padi restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Bali. The restaurant is outdoors and has thatched roof pavilions and lily ponds.

"Not Moslem rebels," I said, trying to speak above the sound of the Javanese keroncong music.

We were talking about Indonesian history. We were talking about the year 1958 when the CIA was organising rebellions in Indonesia to try to topple the democratically elected president.

"A CIA plane bombed the Ambon marketplace, killing many civilians on their way to church. Three days later a CIA pilot, Allen Lawrence Pope, was shot down and captured." Irfan wiped away a mosquito.

"What about more recent troubles?" I asked, while eating food that was not necessarily world-class.

"Who bombed the Attorney General's office in Jakarta in July 2000?" asked Irfan.

"Moslem rebels?" I suggested.

"The bombs went off one hour after Tommy Suharto had been interrogated by the police. The bombs were traced back to the army and a former member of Suharto's guard. There were lots of bombs at that time. A woman called Elize Tuwahatu was jailed for ten years after admitting she had placed Tommy's bombs in various places in Jakarta. Now Tommy is in jail."

"What about the Moslem fighters in the Moluccas?" I asked.

"Groups within the armed forces are behind that," said Irfan. "Laskar Jihad, the biggest Moslem militia, has always had links to the army. The army uses them to fight the independence movement in the Moluccas. And to undermine democracy. And to distract attention away from the corruption of the elite."

"Didn't Laskar Jihad's leader fight in Afghanistan?"

"Yes, but those fighters were working with the CIA."

"So, who bombed Bali?" I asked.


"Who gains?" said Irfan. "Certain generals want to undermine democracy. They don't want to be put on trial for past atrocities. They want Bush on their side. President Bush wants to resume military aid to Indonesia, which was cut off by Congress because of the genocide committed by the Indonesian army in East Timor in 1999. The Indonesian army has been accused of secretly creating and funding militant Islamic groups so that it will be given more money and power. Singapore's Straits Times published a document detailing a plan to launch a holy war. Many observers suspect the document is a fake, invented by Indonesian and US intelligence, so that the US can resume military aid to Jakarta."

"So, who bombed Bali?"

"The airline manifest of Garuda airlines shows that at least two military generals from Jakarta happened to visit Bali just three days before the bombings and that they returned to Jakarta just one day before the Sari Club was blown up. This was confirmed by armed forces chief General Sutarto, who claimed that General Djaja Suparman was on vacation, while General Ryamizard Riyacudu, chief of staff, was said to have gone to Bali for health reasons. General Suparman is one of the generals behind the extremist Jihad groups. He set up militias composed of gangsters and religious fanatics to counter student demonstrations in 1998. One of these militias, Pram Swarkasa, became Laskar Jihad."

"What about this person called Amrozi, who was arrested?"

"He's probably working for the police. Probably a police informant. Did you see the photos of him getting a friendly handshake from the police chief. They were all smiles."

"Does Iraq come into this?"

"Yes. The US does not want its invasion of Iraq to be presented by Indonesians as a war against Islam. They want Indonesians to believe that there is a real threat from terroris
ts."

"So, is Indonesia safe?"

"It's safe so long as you keep away from places where bombs go off, places like night clubs. Stick to the beaches and the countryside."

"Peaceful in the countryside?"

"Well, it wasn't in 1965-66."

"Why?"

"70,000-100,000 Balinese were slaughtered by Suharto's people in 1965-66."

"Did that get into the news?"

"Western governments turned a blind eye to the killings because Suharto opened the country up to US corporations and warships."

WHY GO TO BALI?

Away from the hotels there is a magical tropical world: frangipani, banana trees, volcanoes, temples, ducks, and smiling children. It is a tranquil world. It is a place where one can come to realise that all of nature is interlinked.

WHERE TO STAY?
The Ritz-Carlton, in Jimbaran in S.W. Bali, is sat on a bluff above white sand beaches and the turquoise-blue Indian Ocean. The hotel offers: a championship standard golf course, a pool with a waterfall, a pool with water slides, an aquarium, tennis, billiards, mountain bikes, gym, sauna, Turkish baths, massage....

A Ritz-Carlton villa, has its own private plunge pool and its own private garden. One night's stay costs the equivalent of about one year's wages for a poor Indonesian.

Bali also has small losmen (guesthouses) costing £5 or less per night.

The most luxurious place to stay is Begawan Giri, now rated as the world's most luxurious property. Barbra Streisand booked the entire place.

Bali gets about one million tourists a year. The Beckhams, Jimmy Carter, Sting...

BALI'S REGIONS

Bali is 87 miles long and 48 miles wide. It's population is about 3 million and mainly Hindu.
The Hindus have a relaxed way of life.

There are some Moslems who have come from Java
and other islands. There are also Chinese Indonesians, and some Arabs and Indians.

The Southern Coast - 90% of the tourists stay here.

Bali's eastern region has temples, such as Pura Besakih, and palaces and Hindu shrines with carvings dating from the 11th century. Gunung Agung volcano, about 10,000-ft high is the island's holiest site. It erupted in 1963.

The northern coast has some of the best-known temples on the island.

Western Bali has Bali Barat National Park, with its forested mountains, palm savannas, and mangrove swamps.

ECONOMY: Tourism , handicrafts and agriculture.

HEALTH: Watch out for Cholera (avoid seafood) and Japanese Encephalitis (get an injection)

THE ARMY : The army runs Indonesia, although the country is supposed to be a democracy.

Allegedly the army and the Suharto family are trying to bring back military dictatorship. In November 2000 the army killed over 100 people in Sumatra's Aceh who were demonstrating for independence. In the Moluccas up to 10,000 have died in conflict. West Papua and West Kalimantan are in turmoil.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
The local people are not keen on drunken Australians, but they will greet with great friendliness the tourist who respects the Hindu religion.

Summary: