INDONESIAN MINISTER FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM’S STATEMENT

DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE IN KUTA ON 3 OCTOBER 2005 THE INDONESIAN MINISTER FOR CULTURE AND TOURISMS, H.E. JERO WACIK, DELIVERED A SPEECH TO THE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA. HERE BELOW IS PART OF HIS SPEECH.

Om Swastiastu,

We condemn the bombings at Raja’s Café Kuta and restaurants in Jimbaran beach as an irresponsible and inhumane act. The Government of Indonesia is serious in handling this issue. Moments after the bombing, the President immediately led coordination efforts across ministries, and one day later he traveled to the crime scene and visited victims at the local hospital.

In order to serve the public with accurate and up-to-date information, we have immediately set up a media center, which is collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Bali Police, the provincial Government of Bali, and Bali Tourism Board (BTB).

We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, praying that they may rest in peace with an appropriate place next to God. Regarding the victims who were injured in the attack, the Government will strive to provide the best treatment, and the Government will pay for all cost of care.

The Jimbaran bombing tragedy is a heavy blow to the tourism industry in Bali and Indonesia. However, there are a few positive signs those can be immediately seen which differ from the October 12, 2002 attack. After the bombing, there was no major exodus or excessive panic. A day after the attack, on October 2, 2005, Bali still received 4,434 tourist arrivals, while departures reached only 7,075 people. There is a difference of 2,611 people, but this number is small compared to the situation of 2002. One day after the Legian bombing of 2002, there was a mass exodus and an atmosphere of panic. The number of guest checking out early is minimal. There are few cancellations. Hotel room occupancy has not experienced any drastic reduction.

The people of Bali are responding to this tragedy in a mature and wise manner. There are no anarchy, finger pointing, or uncontrollable emotional acts. In contrast, the people have responded with social and religious ceremonies aiming to bring back the balance of nature. The activities and daily lives of Bali continues to run as normal, there is no fear on the streets. The markets are still full, the stores open as usual, and the beaches are still visited. To prove this point, we invite all reporters to join a tour tomorrow, on the holy day of Galungan (October, 5, 2005), to a few villages and cultural sites in Bali.

International activities are also continuing as normal. This morning, we have just escorted the Prime Minister of Singapore to the airport who has concluded a bilateral meeting with the President of Indonesia in Tampaksiring. The presence of the Singapore Prime Minister of Bali is a message to the world that the situation in Bali is normal.

Based on experience of 2002, we are optimistic that the bombing will not destroy the reputation of Indonesia, especially Bali. If there is a fall in standing, it will recover. As proof, after the 2002 bombing tragedy, Bali has many times received the honor as “The Best Island Destination in the World”, beating other famous island destination around the world. The honor of Bali as the Best Island will be joined with Singapore Airlines who has frequently won the honor of “ The Best Airline”, resulting in a “Twin Awards” campaign that will be synergid in our promotions.

In the future, we will re-arrange our tourism product that will continue to ensure security and comfort for our guest. To prevent any excessive travel warning or travel bans against Bali/Indonesia, we have coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain our position in a transparent manner to the international community. We will continue to meet and lobby with various parties to ensure that scheduled international events will be held in Bali.

In this occasion, I would like to offer the people of Bali our best wishes for Galungan, a holy day which will be observed tomorrow, Wednesday October 5, 2005 and to also our brother Muslim, we wish them well as they are entering the fasting month of Ramadhan. To the police, we offer our highest appreciation for the hard work they have done, which already has shown sign of an amazing success. Finally, we call on all parties to work together, shoulder-to-shoulder. However, we must not grieve for too long. Let us get back on our feet, looking forward with confident steps.

Om shanti shanti shanti Om

Indonesian Minister For Culture and Tourism

Jero Wacik