Australia Warns Citizens Against Travel to Bali

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Tue Mar 20, 2012 at 10:41:00 PM EST
Tags: Bali (all tags)

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The Australian Foreign Ministry has issued a warning to Australians: Stay away from Bali.

Indonesia's counter-terrorism unit killed five suspected terrorists in a shoot-out on Bali last weekend. According to Indonesian authorities, the men were planning terror attacks, and a bar patronized by Australians was on the list.

Why now? Alleged Jemaah Islamiyah bombmaker Umar Patek, is on trial now in Indonesia for the 2002 Bali bombings and facing a possible death sentence. [More...]

Indonesian Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution says more terrorists escaped Sundays raid:

He called on Balinese to remain alert, due to an imminent threat of terrorist attacks. He added that police are keeping several areas in Bali under surveillance and monitoring the movements of other terror suspects still on the loose.

One of the cafes believed to be targeted by the now dead men is the Vida Loca cafe in the tourist area of Seminyak in South Bali.

Unyil Yunitasary, the operational manager of the cafe...speculated her cafe may have been targeted “because it’s packed and most of our customers are foreign tourists.”

Just another reason not to go to Bali. Try Mauritius or the Maldives instead.

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Australia Warns Citizens Against Travel to Bali | 9 comments (9 topical)

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And the Aussies love Bali (none / 0) (#1)
by MKS on Tue Mar 20, 2012 at 11:55:00 PM EST

Too bad Bali is messed up.

Was in Bali when this happened (none / 0) (#2)
by goneblank on Wed Mar 21, 2012 at 07:14:16 AM EST

And the version I heard from an Indonesian friend was that they were actually killed during a heist of some sort, and the police became aware they were members of a terrorist group only after the fact.

Bali isn't one of my favorite places but I don't get why it's being singled out as a place to boycott. Indonesia certainly isn't alone in the long list of popular destinations where you don't want to be arrested.

I also don't think it's very fair to tell people to just go to the Maldives instead. Bali is much easier and cheaper to get to, and it also caters to a much broader range of budgets.

I honestly can't tell (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by sj on Wed Mar 21, 2012 at 01:37:26 PM EST

if this one-and-only comment is sincere or if it's damage control.


The pictures on the site do make one (none / 0) (#4)
by Edger on Wed Mar 21, 2012 at 01:52:45 PM EST

wonder where they were taken, don't they?


Can't go there from here (none / 0) (#5)
by sj on Wed Mar 21, 2012 at 01:55:39 PM EST

I'll check it out tonight.


Damage control? (none / 0) (#8)
by goneblank on Thu Mar 22, 2012 at 03:41:20 AM EST

Yeah, it is a first comment, and it is sincere. I don't see why it would be considered damage control, since I'm basically suggesting the Indonesian authorities aren't quite so competent as the article implied.

And I'm not pushing Bali. I just think there are a lot of other places that don't get mentioned where they also have people serving life in prison for stupid reasons.

Not to mention that the Maldives have basically the same laws on the books as Indonesia.

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Maldives


: ok (none / 0) (#9)
by sj on Thu Mar 22, 2012 at 09:45:12 AM EST

I think it's sincere (none / 0) (#7)
by Jeralyn on Wed Mar 21, 2012 at 09:04:11 PM EST

and will treat it as such.


Bali is being singled out (none / 0) (#6)
by Jeralyn on Wed Mar 21, 2012 at 09:01:15 PM EST

because of its drug laws and because it continues to imprison Schapelle Corby. TalkLeft has urged a boycott of Bali since 2005 (all posts here) and will until her release.
