BaliGovernorWayanKoster saysfashfoodsthatinundated partsoftheprovincialislandare undercontrol,asheseeksto allayconcernsaheadoftheG20 Summitnextmonth.
Sixregencieswerehitwithfash foodsandlandslidesthroughout thisweekasaresultofextended
extremeweather,claimingthe livesofsevenpeopleand displacingthousandsfromtheir homes.
Theislandishostingthesummit gatheringofthe intergovernmentalforumonNov. 15and16.
“Thereisnoproblem.Thefoods havebeenmanaged.Forthe G20[Summit]inBali,it’ssafe andthere’snothingtoworry about,”Kostersaidduringa pressconferencetoday.
TheIndonesianForumforthe Environment(Walhi)thisweek saidthatland-usechangeat severalmajorprojectsonthe island,includingtheLNG terminalconstructioninSanur andtheGilimanukTollRoad, havetriggeredorexacerbated recentnaturaldisastersinBali.
Koster’ssecond-in-command, ViceGovernorTjokordaOka ArthaArdhanaSukawati,went alongwithWalhi’sassessment andcalledformoreresponsible landdevelopmentinBali.
Koster,however,isofthebelief thatextremeweatherissolelyto blame,sayingthat environmentalimpact assessmentshadclearedthese majorinfrastructureprojects.
AsofOct.19,offcialsestimate thatdamagetopublicproperty amountedtoIDR6.6billion (US$422,385).TheBali ProvincialGovernmenthasset asideIDR30billion(US$1.9 million)inaidforthosedisplaced fromtheirhomesoraffectedin otherways.
Thehashtag#PrayforBalihas beentrendingthroughoutthe weekinIndonesiaamid nationwideconcernforthe naturaldisastersontheIslandof Gods. (Coconuts.co)
BringYourMarriageCertifcate
It’snotthefrsttimealong discusseddraftforanaddition totheIndonesianCriminalcode, threateningcriminalprosecution tounmarriedcoupleschecking intoIndonesianhotelshas stirredheateddiscussions amongthecounty'slawmakers andthetourismindustry. Thebillthreatensanyonewho
engagesinextramarital sexwithamaximumofone yearinprisonorafne. Logically,thisincludes everyoneonIndonesian territory,including internationaltourists.Italso statesthatanyonelivingas manandwifeoutsideaformal marriagecanbeprosecutedand punishedwithamaximum prisontermof6months.
Butwhatsoundsprettystrictin thefrstplacecomeswitha weirdconditionwhichis,by design,verysuitableto completelyexcludeunmarried
internationaltourists.Unmarried couplesstayingtogetherina hotelroomorevenliving togethercanonlybeprosecuted ifaclosefamilymemberflesa policereportagainstthem.That simplymeansthat,unlessyour mother,father,siblingsor childrenreportyoutothe Indonesianpolice,it'spretty unlikelythatyou'llbeaffectedat allbythebill,shoulditever becomelaw.
Indonesiantourismassociations aswellashoteloperatorshave opposedthenewbill,whichisin themakingforyearsnow,right
fromthebeginningsayingthat thislawwouldmassivelyaffect thetourismindustryandthat intentionaltouristwouldpick alternatedestinationlike Thailand,Singapore,Malaysia orVietnaminsteadofIndonesia fortheirholidays.
Wewillkeepyouupdatedof furtherdevelopments,butwe doubtthatifthelawever actuallycomesintoforce,willbe heavilyenforcedor,particularly inBali,usedagainst internationaltourists.However, thatwouldreallybethedeath knellforBali’stourismindustry.
inIndonesiatoincreasethe
quitelucky.Herformer "specialassistant",Dewa NyomanWiratmaya,who wasalsoinvolvedinthe samecorruptioncaseand alsoappealed,wasn’tthatlucky. Hisinitialsentenceof6months wasincreasedto2years.
Bothwere,again,foundguiltyof mishandlingspecialeconomic
relieffundsbackin2018andof payingbribestotwooffcersof theMinistryofFinancetocover uptheirwrongdoings.Their lawyersdeclinedtocommenton thecourt'sdecision.
IAlong-awaitedvisathatallows holderstostayinIndonesiafor upto10yearsisfnallyhere.
beenintheworkssincethe ratifcationofthe2021Job CreationLaw–designedto attractinvestmentinto Indonesia.
Successfulapplicantsofthe second-homevisawillbe eligibletostayinIndonesiafor5 to10years.
Whilethesecond-homevisais
applicableforforeignerswho wanttostaylongerinanypart ofthecountry,thenewpermit waslaunchedinBali’stourist hotspotofCangguyesterday–signalingthattheIslandofGods willbeakeydestinationfor second-homevisaholders.
“Thegoal[ofthesecond-home visa]istoattractforeigntourists toBaliandother[travel] destinations[inIndonesia],”said actingDirector-Generalof ImmigrationAffairsofthe MinistryofLawandHuman RightsWidodoEkatjahjanaat
thelaunchyesterday. Theoffcialsaidthatthe subjectsofthenewvisaare foreignersorformerIndonesian citizenswhowanttostayinthe countryandpositivelycontribute totheeconomy.Thevisa holders,headded,mayinvest and/orworkinIndonesia.
TheheadoftheBaliOffcefor theMinistryofLawandHuman Rights,AnggiatNapitupulu,said separatelythatthesecondhomevisaisexpectedtoattract elderlytouristswho,according tohim,havethefundstostay longerforleisure.
“[…]VoAs(visaonarrival)are veryshortandnotquiteenough [intermsofstaylength],while weknowtheyhavethecapital,” saidAnggiat,addingthatthe newvisaopensupthe opportunityforholderstospend moremoneyinIndonesia.
Travelassociationsare expectedtomakethemostof
thesecond-homevisa.Ussyana Dethan,arepresentativeofthe BaliTravelAgencies Association(ASITA),saidthat theyappreciatethevisa.
“Wearewaitingformoredetails forthisnewpolicy,”Ussyana said.
Applicantscangoonlineto applyforthesecond-homevisa. Amongtherequirementsarea passportthatisvalidfora minimumof36months,and proofoffundsintheformofa foreignbankaccountor guarantorvaluedataminimum ofIDR2billion(US$128,246).
TheapplicationfeeisIDR3 million(US$192.37),whichone maysettleoutsideIndonesiavia onlinepayment.
Thenewpolicywillbeeffective within60daysafteritslaunch, Widodosaid.
(Coconuts.co)
It’sAllBecauseOfTheBadWeather Bali'sGovernorDeniesImpactOfInfrastructureProjectsOnRecentFloods Arecentstudy,carriedoutby theIndonesianEnvironmental Forum(WALHI)hasfoundthat landusechangesinseveral majorinfrastructureprojectsin Balihaveexacerbatedrecent naturaldisasterssuchasfoods andlandslides.
However,regardlessofthefact theBali’sViceGovernor, TjokordaOkaArthaArdhana Sukawati,betterknownasCok Ace,hasbackeduptheresults ofthestudyandhascalledfora
moreresponsibleland development,allthisdidn’tgo downwellwithBali’sgovernor,I WayanKoster.
Kosterstatedthathebelieves thattherecentfoodsand landslides,whichhavehit6out ofBali’s9regenciesoverthe pastweeks,areonlyrelatedto theextremeweathersinceallof themajorinfrastructureprojects havebeenclearedby environmentalimpactstudies before.
“Thereisnoproblem. Thefoodshavebeen managedandareunder control.FortheG20 SummitinBali,it’ssafe andthere’snothingto worryabout,”Kostertoldthe pressshowingonceagainthat theupcomingG20summitis currentlythemostimportant thingfortheBaligovernment andthatthelossofproperty, accesstoentirevillages,the blockingofmajorroadsand evenhumanlifeseemstobe
kindasecondaryatthemoment aslongas"thesummitissafe".
Soifyourhouseisunderwater orifyouarestuckonawashed awayroadinthemiddleof nowhereinthepouringrain don’tworry…It’sallmanaged andundercontrol.
Sure,it’snotherfaultthatthere’samarketthatsellsexoticmeatinBali.Buthermanymisinformedtakesonthe situation(shethinksIndonesianscommonlyeatmonkeymeat,forexample)didn’thelphercause.
usedtoseeingdifferentthingsallthetime.I defnitelywasnotthinkingstraight.I defnitelyshouldnothavepostedthevideo atall.AndI’mverysorryforthat,”she beganthevideo.
AnAustralianmodelandsocialmedia
anexoticanimalmeatmarketinBaliwas publiclycriticized.
Inadeletedvideo,Testatalkedaboutwhen ataxidrivertookherandhermanager,at theirrequest,toameatmarketinBali.The drivertookthemtoa“topsecret”market wheretheysellmonkeymeat,crocodile meat,and,asTestafoundoutlater,dog meat.
Testasaidshetookhomeanassortmentof itemsbeforeleavingthemarket,admitting thatthewholeexperiencewastraumatizing. Shealsosaidthatshedidnotflmmuchat themarketasshefeltpeopletherewere suspiciousofher.
Sheandhermanagerthentriedthemeats (butnotthemonkeymeatanddogmeat), includingthosefromratsandcrocodiles, notingtheir“distinctsmell.”
Thecommentscondemningherwere
“Basicallywhathappenedwas,wewerein thetaxi,andwewereonourwayhome.We weredrivingpastalotoflocalareasand there’slotsofmarketssowekindofwanted tostopandwantedtohavealook.We askedthetaxidrivertotakeustothebest one.Thetaxidriverstartedtalkingabout ratsandwewerelisteningandIwas naturallyveryintrigued.”
Testasaidthatshewasawarethatthere wasgoingtobemonkeymeatbefore enteringthemarket.
“That’swhatIndonesianseat.It’spretty common,”shesaid.
“AlthoughIdon’tagreewiththat.Iwould neverwanttodisrespectanybody’s culture.”
IndonesiaisaMuslim-majoritycountrysoit isactuallynotcommonforthepeoplehere toeatmonkeymeat,whichisforbiddenfor consumptionbythereligion.WhileBali itselfisnotaMuslim-majorityisland,eating monkeymeatisgenerallyfrownedupon–infact,monkeysareactuallydeemed sacredanimalsbyBalineseHindusasyou canseebyhowtheyareprotectedatthe UbudMonkeyForestandotherareas,such asinUluwatu.
Thereisoneregioninthenorthernpartof Sulawesiwherepeopleregularlyeat monkeys,butitdefnitelyrepresentsatiny minorityofthewholeofIndonesia.
Thatsaid,theislanddoeshavea complicatedrelationshipwithdogs.Inthe grandschemeofthings,Testaactually managedtopointoutadarksideofBali–dogmeattrade–thatanimalrights defendershavelongbeenfghtingagainst. ItshouldbenotedthatTesta’sBaliitinerary coveredmorethanjustavisittothemeat market,though.
Inanothervideo,Testacommentedonthe waterqualityinBali,sayingthatshe “cannotdrinkwaterinBali.Tenchancesout of10youwillgetafesh-eatingparasite, poisoned,Balibelly,andsomepeople actuallydiefromBalibelly.”
“Iduct-tapemymoutheverytimeIgofora shower,”shesaid.“Justincase!”
Inthesamevideo,shesaidthatshejust foundoutthatricewasgrownand harvestedfromtheground,AKAricefelds. Shealsosaidthatsheandhermanager attemptedtovisitKerobokanPrisonsothey couldmeetMatthewNorman,amemberof thenotoriousBaliNine.However,shesaid theprisonoffcersdidnotallowvisitorsdue toCOVID-19restrictions.
Instead,shewenttoaMcDonald’stobuy 60HappyMeals,whichshedonatedtoan orphanage.
“Indonesiaisoneofthemostpoorcountries intheworld.Onlywealthykidscaneat McDonald’ssoIreallywantedtomakethis specialforthem,”shesaid,addingthatthe restaurantstaffwereshockedbytheorder.
Testauploadedanapologyvideosoon
Intheapologyvideoyesterday,Testasaid
Nonetheless,Testasaidthatshedidnot intendtodoanythingwrong,addingthat shehadnoideathatthemarkethaddog meatandthatshewouldnothaveenteredif sheknewthat.Sheclaimstheirtaxidriver onlytoldthemaboutthedogmeatsection ofthemarketoncetheywereinside.
“Fromthatpoint,Ishouldhavenever postedthevideo.AndIapologizesodeeply forthat,”shesaid.
The21-year-oldsaidthat,bythetimesheis 26,shewillbe“adoptingmanychildren fromIndonesia.”
CoconutshasreachedouttoTestaviaher Instagramprofletohearhersideofthe story.Inthemeantime,whileshemayhave donesomegoodinBali,perhapsthisisa reminderthatinfuencersmaynotbethe mostinformedofpeopleandthatwe shouldn’tbelieveeverythingtheysay.And pleasestayawayfromexoticmeats.
(Coconuts.co)
