Misbehaving Aussies long marred the Indonesian island but tourists looking for cheap extended stays have set the stage for a thriving criminal underbelly
So sad. I remember a friend talking about it 20 years ago. It really sounded as peaceful as the article describes it, but:
Bali politician Agung Bagus Pratiksa Linggih said he had seen an increase in long-term visitors with low budgets in the years since the Covid-19 pandemic
“Shootings in Bali are unheard of. In Melbourne, they happen all the time, but not here,” he said. “People are asking how they even got the guns. Is there an underworld market forming?”
According to Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency, in 2023, only three firearm-related crimes were recorded in Bali.
“We’ve seen meth labs, villa robberies, crypto scams, property fraud, and ATM theft – often involving Russian or eastern European groups,” he said.
He blamed Bali’s open-door tourism model and post-pandemic economic desperation.
edit: the article can’t decide if it focuses on Autralians or all tourists, but that doesn’t make it less true.
I grew up on Java and have family there and on Bali that I visit all the time. I’m not sure why you would blame foreign tourists when the real problem for Bali is Javanese. There is a fundamental difference in religion between the two islands. Balinese are primarily peaceful Hindu people, whereas Javanese tend more towards militant Islam. The issue is far more complex but I think this article is a bunch of bullshit.
So sad. I remember a friend talking about it 20 years ago. It really sounded as peaceful as the article describes it, but:
edit: the article can’t decide if it focuses on Autralians or all tourists, but that doesn’t make it less true.
I grew up on Java and have family there and on Bali that I visit all the time. I’m not sure why you would blame foreign tourists when the real problem for Bali is Javanese. There is a fundamental difference in religion between the two islands. Balinese are primarily peaceful Hindu people, whereas Javanese tend more towards militant Islam. The issue is far more complex but I think this article is a bunch of bullshit.