Bahasa Indonesia
Bali Humanitarian Donation
TOKYO (SuratkabarCom) -
The idea to collect this humanitarian donation is because we care about Bali as the main gate of Indonesia. The social awareness of Indonesian people which living in Japan and also the Japanese people who love Bali, feel concern regarding what was happen in Bali on October 12, 2002, a bomb that killed about 200 people and half of them are Indonesian particularly Balinese people.
As we are aware that Bali island is one of the international gate to Indonesia and the most popular destination for some Japanese which have deep in their mind a place of heaven, peaceful place, enjoyable place, relaxation place, romantic place and all the beautiful image of Bali.
But those images now disturbed heavily by the (at least) two bombs have destroyed Kuta, Bali. Therefore some tourist immediately avoid Bali as their main destination nowadays.
Several countries have applied Travel Warning to Bali, making Bali as one of the dangerous place in the world. Is that true?
The reality we could see now, most of all booking tickets to Bali have been cancelled about 70%. Reservation hotel usually around 90% now only maximum 30%. And more terrible is the appeal from several leaders from overseas, asking their citizen do not go to Bali and remind them there will be another bomb will destroyed another places in Indonesia.
This is really very clear a discrimination ways of thinking by some international politicians. And as Indonesian with the support from all the worldwide people who are still love Indonesia, we have to fight this kind way of thinking.
Some artists in an international gathering in Tokyo recently condemn the comment from especially to Prime Minister Australia, Howard and the supporter of Indonesian said, ÒBali has been destroyed by bomb and a lot of civilian and innocent and poor people died. We feel very concern. So, lets the people decide by themselves for their own destination!Ó Doris Pilkington , an Aborigin, writer of Rabbit-Proof Fence, an Australian Movie, said on a press conference in Tokyo International Film Festival on October 2002.
Yes, Bali is a very sad story we have to hear recently. But we don't have to cry only for this tragedy even we recognized, refer to the statistic data provided by Indonesian Statistic Bureau (BPS), that the number of tourist went to Bali during October is only 700 persons that before the tragedy was about 5,000 persons.
Then the occupancy rate of hotels in Bali has dropped to 18% from about 75% the highest rate in Indonesia.
This impact certainly goes to the foreign currency flow to Indonesia. If the foreigners spend US$100 a day it means foreign exchange to Indonesia during October period comes decreasing to about US$6 millions, because the number of visitors to Bali during October is about 60,000 persons - a mixed between before tragedy and after tragedy situation.
We could imagine the months after October will become worst and people of Bali precisely have to face a very tough life. This concern will livelong at least one year looking to the experience of New York Tragedy on September 11, 2002, has been go through more than one year still keep the tourist thinking twice to go there.
Then how about the victims of Balinese people that most of them from a low level of economy. Wife of husband suddenly has to live alone together with their children. What will the future of their children? How to cremate properly the body of the death family that will cost at least Yen 218,750 per person for what they called it Ngaben ceremony. A lot of concern and question circling Balinese people nowadays that certainly need help from international community.
The damage is not only the dead bodies but also the environment of especially the location of the tragedy. What about the trees, what about the shops or whatever there that have been destroyed by the bomb, enough or not the supply of the medicine for the hospital, etc.etc.
With our help we would like at least to soften the burden of their daily life and the most important is making them aware that they are not alone. We always support them even from far away from Japan. This we believe could make their heart shining and giving them a bright way of thinking for the future. A peaceful spirit for them and feel secure that they are a part of us also as an international community feel concern to their lives.
