For Balinese the local customary law, or Awig-awig, is more revered and feared than the official Indonesian law, or hukum since it has a strong root in tradition. Having an awig-awig in order to live peacefully is compulsory for the Balinese. They consider it as a rule of a game in human interaction. Each village in Bali has its own awig-awig and can be totally different from the neighboring villlages’ awig-awig. This customary law manifests the uniqueness of each village and the serves as a village identity.

The awig-awig is created in a forum of village membes (pesangkepan). This forum discuss all aspects of this customary, each rule is examined carefully and debated vigorously, so the rule can accommodate the interests of all village members. This traditional customary law is reviewed every year and if necessary a forum of village members (pesangkepan) will be held for an awig-awig amendment. The awig-awig is written in palm manuscript and given a special offering to invest a magical power to it so the village members will obey the rules written on it.

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As all things Balinese, Balinese villages are peculiar, complicated, and extraordinarily diverse. There is no simple uniformity of social structure to be found over the whole of the small, crowded countryside, no straightforward form of village organization easily pictured in terms of single typological construction, no “average” village, a description of which may well stand for the whole.

Rather, there is a set of marvelously complex social systems, no one of which is quite like any other, no one of which fails to show some marked peculiarity of form. Even contiguous villages may be quite differently organized; formal elements–such as caste or kinship–of central importance in one village may be of marginal significance in another; neither simplicity nor uniformity is Balinese virtue.

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Banjar, or Balinese neighborhood organization, an aggregate of member families that plans, organizes, and executes the great majority of activities that makes up Balinese life. Anthropologist uses the term “hamlet” for banjar. The banjar is the most important organization in Balinese society; it penetrates and plays important role in every aspect of Balinese life. No cremation, wedding or other ceremony can be held without the participation of the banjar members.

Each banjar has its own law called awig-awig, and the member of banjar adhere more to the banjar law than the state official law. The banjar is an autonomous republic and government has a minimum authority and influence on it. Although the Banjar does not get a penny from the Government the Banjar as group has a very strong influence in local Government decisions, 3500 independent banjars make up Balinese society.

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For Balinese, security is a vital aspect of life especially the security of religious ceremony, to ensure the security of their religious ceremony, a traditional security force called pecalang. The word “pecalang” is derived from the word “celang” that means “vigilant”. They are easily recognized by their cloths, their trademark uniform is, black and white checkered waistcloths, carrying keris daggers with black or checkered headdress.

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When death comes to a Balinese family and take away one of its members, it is no longer a family’s business. It is a community’s business. At this time the Balinese unity and sense of owning is put into the greatest test.

A death in Bali requires a cremation ceremony and it is a big deal that needs a great deal of money, a great deal of time, and a great deal of work (physical and knowledge). It is impossible for the family to manage this massive work and the service of community especially the Banjar (a sub-village neighborhood organization) is needed.

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