CONSULAR ADVISE
ON SECURITY IN BALI

"Don't worry about traveling to Bali" – Professor Andrew Toth, the U.S. Consular Agent in Bali, said that foreign travelers should not be worried about traveling to the "Island of the Gods" because the Balinese people are acting wisely regarding the rumored "sweepings" on Americans.

(Professor Toth is a long-time resident in Bali. He has spent many more years in Indonesia than any other US diplomatic or consular staff member. He speaks fluently half a dozen of Indonesian languages, and he has close contacts to many Balinese intellectuals because of his ongoing studies as a professor of music and his lectures at Bali's university.)

Andrew Toth and consuls from eleven other countries met with the Bali Government in Kuta with the result of ensuring foreign travelers that Bali remains safe and all activities continue as usual. Tourists on the island are still spending their holidays in comfort as their safety is guaranteed.

The Governor and the consuls discussed the security situation in Bali following the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York, and the rumor of threatened large scale "sweeping" actions against U.S. citizens in Indonesia by radical Moslem groups. These rumours reportedly scared foreign travelers from Indonesia.

Bali Governor Dewa Made Beratha told the consuls that the Balinese are a peace-loving people and will never allow violence to occur on the island. And with many of their lives depending on the tourism sector, they are dedicated to keeping the island secure and conducive to tourism activities. He said Badung Regent Oka Rahmadi also shared the conviction that sweeping can never occur in Bali because the Balinese respect guests. "Disturbing guests on vacation in Bali is deemed taboo," he said.

"To anticipate any unexpected incidents, the regent and local security authorities continue to carefully patrol areas where expatriates and tourists reside," he said.