When the bomb went off in Kuta last October, the reactions were mainly those of grief, horror and surprise. After the first few weeks of emergency care, it was time to try and figure out how to help those affected heal–on all levels: emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually and economically. The Bali Relief efforts have been enormous–an outpouring of medications (80 percent of them outdated, I’m told), medical support, and money came onto this tiny island. After all the fanfare, and the extravanga free concerts with the big name stars, a number of us wondered what else could be done.

Cody Schwaiko of YKIP (Yayasan Kemanusian Ibu Pertiwi, which was initially established to assist the bomb victims) asked me if I knew a dalang (shadow puppeteer) who could create a story about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that could be taken into the villages, particularly in and around Kuta.

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It was reported on Bali Post, Sunday (16/12) that Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, the leader of Jamaah Islamiah (JI), visited the three sentenced of the 1st Bali Bomb Blast Case; Amrozy, Mukhlas, and Imam Samudra in Nusa Kambangan prison.

He stated that the verdict was mistaken due to the death sentence to those three persons. He considers that Amrozy and his friends are not terrorists but they are contra-terrorist.

Ba’asyir also stated that actually those people who are in jail was only trying to defend the Muslims but unfortunately they used wrong ways and for expiating their sin they are doing two months fast (kifarat) currently since there was innocent people killed on 1st Bali Bomb Blast incident. And his last statement that sounds like a threat was there will be a big disturbance/danger if those three sentenced are sent to death because they are mujahid (fighter).

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Hindu-Balinese identity is enforced through pork meatballs and praying competitions.

Walking the streets of Denpasar, you will probably notice small food stalls and carts bearing red and white banners that read Bakso Krama Bali (BKB), meaning bakso (meatball soup) sold for and by Balinese. Previously, bakso was most commonly made from chicken and sold from carts by Javanese migrants. The new BKB often uses pork, thus violating halal (Islamic dietary) requirements, meaning not only that Muslims can’t eat BKB, but also that they can’t sell it. Non-Muslim Balinese therefore have a monopoly on the market.

BKB arose in an attempt to take back control over the Balinese economy from the perceived economic threat of Javanese transmigrants. Even non-BKB food stalls and carts will often paint Bakso Ajeg Bali (literally, Bakso Strengthening Bali) on their signs, or advertise that they use pork, in order to benefit from the rising popularity of BKB. BKB is a reflection of what could be interpreted as the rise of Balinese nationalist or Hindu fundamentalist sentiment in Bali.

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Yayasan Kemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi (YKIP) or the Humanitarian Foundation for Mother Earth is dedicated to helping the needy in Bali through health and education programs.

YKIP is a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of the needy in Bali through Health and Education Projects. Established only days after the Bali Bomb Blast of October 12, 2002, YKIP’s founders were business people, doctors, officials and volunteers who assisted during the crisis. It soon became evident that in order to accommodate the tons (literally) of medical supplies and monetary donations from well-wishers around the world, a transparent and responsible organization needed to be established. As many of our founders are members of Rotary International, we were able to establish YKIP as such an organization in the eyes of potential donors. We received endorsements from the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, the diplomatic community in Bali, and the Governor of Bali. Our members come from a variety of faiths and from many different nationalities.

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THE Federal Government’s travel advisory to Britain is inadequate and underestimates the extent of the terrorism threat there, tourism figures and security experts have warned.

London is now seen as the prime western target for jihadists, especially after Britain’s spy chief revealed there were 30 active terrorist plots and 1600 suspects.

More than 900,000 Australians travel to Britain each year, and hundreds of thousands more live there.

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BALI - Five members of the supervisory body charged with monitoring the financial accountability of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB) resigned last week.

I Gusti Agung Prana, Hadi Taryoto, John Ketut Pantja, Cok Putra and I Gusti Bagus Yudhara said they were no longer prepared to share responsibility for any decision made by BTB.

BTB has been criticised for a lack of communication and transparency with the stakeholder organisations that comprise the tourism promotion body.

BTB chair, Bagus Sudibya, said that he had clarified all the various problems surrounding Bali’s recovery funds. He added that the secretary-general of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Hengky Hermanto, had met with stakeholders to explain the funding issues.

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