pongken
What exactly happened at The Four Seasons?
(I've been away in Bangkok)
Ken
dawnofjedi
Hello all. I am new to the forum, but am glad to be here :D. I was just interested to know what all of you local expatriates in the Ubud area heard about the "hostility" at the Ubud Four Seasons hotel last month. I was there in Ubud a the time and heard ever so many rumors from Balinese and expatriates alike. It sounded pretty wild :!: . I was just wondering if any of you know how often that type of thing happens in Bali? I am planning to move there later this year, and was wondering if that kind of mentality exists in any quantity amongst the locals? What other instances of the sort can you remember? Is it common practice? What kind of political repercussions in Indonesia does something like cause? It just kind of blew my mind, cause I did not think that tensions could get so out of hand like that in such a peaceful place as Bali. Well that is it for now. Just wondering on your perspectives. Thanks.
dawnofjedi
Wow! It is really surprising to me that nobody here seems to know about what went down. It seemed quite a buzz when I was hanging out around there. Anyway, here is how it goes, as I heard it from multiple sources:
So there is a village that owns the land that Four Season is built on. I believe is called Sayan? Or something similar to that, with similar letters, maybe you guys know. Anyhow, it seems that for years Four Seasons had been paying them some sort of extortion fee to have the hotel operate on the land, something like 10 million rupiah per month or year, I am not sure. Also there was a quota of jobs that needed to be filled by the locals. Something went wrong and the banjar decides to deman 30 million, and up the quota. So the hotel refused. Trouble began. The banjar went during the day to tear up the road in front of the hotel. Then things began to escalate and apparently 25 or so of the men burst into the hotel that night with knives, and held everyone hostage for a while. No casualities but I heard one guy might have had a heart attack. Anyway, later calls were made an extremely large number of police and military were called up from the south to intervene. Which they did...and stormed the place, arresting the men. The tourists were rushed to the Four Seasons in Jimbaran. And this is what I heard, accounts from several locals and semi-expats. I was surprised to hear about it, I actually found out as it was happening. I did see that I think it was either Jakarta or Bali post ran an article on the tearing up of the road, but everything else was quieted. So that is it. I am wondering if any of you guys ever heard of any similar stories and about the type of things that go on like this. I heard sometimes foreigners opening a business in Ubud will have similar, if not as extreme, problems. Well, anything you guys know or care to contribute is welcome...
pongken
I completely agree with Roy. The moral of this story is that you should not mess with the local Banjar. Never.
The rumor mill in the Ubud area is particularly fierce and will blow any innocent story into an outrageous thriller. Most of what you heard was, most likely, pure fabrication.
The Banjar represents the local community, and is very effective at protecting their interests. It is not an extortion racket, although sometimes appears to act like one. If The Four Seasons had an agreement with the local Banjar and violated it, then the Banjar acted appropriately, and as they normally do, swiftly.
Ken
pongken
Well said, Roy.
I can barely think of how to add to what Roy just said. The thing to remember about Bali and the Balinese is that Bali is THEIR ISLAND. Once you understand that, everything becomes easy. We are just guests, and extremely well treated guests, at that.
Be thankful that the unfolding of your life has brought you to Bali.
Ken
Bert Vierstra
Horrible story.
Yes I have heard of a similar story (also in the Ubud area), but it didn't end up so aggresive as the 4 seasons thing. Some Americans owning villas were forced to take on more people from the village they are located ( the village people even threatened workers from outside the village) and suddenly have to pay more taxes, also for workers outside the village...
Those Americans were nice to the village, donating lots for ceremonies and such, but now they have stopped...
I will invite them here, maybe they want to talk....
I have myself some experience with extorsion like things, and its seems easy to get locals into a riot, and usually they don't even know whats it all about. "The foreigner doesn't want to pay what he needs to pay, bad foreigner" can be enough.
Just two weeks ago some drunken local who believes that I lied about him assembled some eager locals to go to my house and tell me the "truth". Fortunately I was warned, so I had an evening with 4 motor police guys in my home.
Roy
Yes, you are right, the Four Seasons Sayan is located in the village of Sayan, just west of Ubud proper and along the Ayung River gorge. I live just north of that village in Kedewatan-Bunutan. I think some of the accounts of that issue you heard were greatly exaggerated, especially the part about the hotel being stormed by knife bearing villagers and guests being taken hostage. Also exaggerated is the story of large amounts of police and military being sent up from the South, and they having stormed the hotel to free the “hostages.”
Also incorrect is the idea that the Four Seasons was being “extorted” by the village of Sayan in order to keep the hotel there. The fact is there was a written agreement concerning this monthly “fee” that was in effect and agreed on by both parties.
It is not unusual for banjars, in the Ubud area anyway, to charge a monthly fee, or “tax” if you will, to the owners of business that are located within the banjar. This applies to Balinese business owner’s as well if the owner is from another banjar. These “taxes” are used in various ways, but mainly are for temple maintenance and ceremony costs.
A problem that had been building for quite some time with the Four Seasons in Sayan is that not enough local villagers from Sayan were employed by the Hotel. This kind of problem also came up over a year ago at the Wulandari in my own village, and it is a common problem of which I personally sympathize more with the villagers.
The issue at the Four Seasons came to head when they started using a priest from another village to conduct the daily offerings at the hotel. This was a particularly dumb move on the part of the Four Seasons’ management.
In protest, the local villagers did in fact dig a large hole in the hotel’s access road, thus making entry and exit impossible. Yes, the guests were moved to the Four Seasons Jimbaran during the few days this was taking place. A small number of Sayan villagers were arrested, but later released when the adat produced a written guarantee that those arrested would not participate in such protest activity again.
I know several expats who live in Sayan, and they all believe that the villagers there are very reasonable, kind and cooperative. Robberies there are almost unheard of which cannot be said for several other villages in the Ubud area. From what I know about the problem, I place more blame on the hotel management for not realizing the importance, no matter how much time it takes, to maintain reasonable dialogue with the head of the village and the banjar.
Roy
As a follow up to my comments, and those made by Ken, a little elaboration may be in order. As Ken states, the Banjar MUST and has to be respected and acknowledged. Lacking this understanding, or refuting it is ultimately the main cause for business failures in Bali, or “another one bites the dust” as in another expat has gone home.
Let’s face it, Bali is for the Balinese, and who would dare argue that? They were colonialized by the Dutch, occupied by the Japanese, and in recent years past, seemingly overrun by tourists and would be expatriates that just don’t get it. The Balinese are a gentle, kind, and incredibly polite people, but when push comes to shove, they can also be ferocious warriors, hell bent on protecting their traditions and culture. Personally, I admire that aspect of the Balinese and I hope I can learn much more than I already have.
As mainland Asia goes, China has been often referred to as the awakening sleeping giant. In Indonesia, it’s Bali that is generally accepted as the awakening sleeping Naga. This awakening is not at all aggressive, as in to dominate. Rather, this awakening is only for self-perseverance.
The real problem of late is multi-faceted and complex. The issue now is economic, in that the Balinese have for so long depended on tourism as their main source of GNP. Since October 12, 2002, that is all changing. Slowly, the Balinese are learning and embracing other sources of income that are not so reliant on tourist dollars. This subtle change that I see so clearly is not likely to be obvious to the tourist, but it is there I assure you. But with these changes that are economically based, comes a whole other sorts of wagons filled with other issues, and potential problems.
Essential to this transition that is occurring in Bali is the “lock tight” hold on its traditions. I have no doubts at all that in twenty, thirty or more years from today, my sons, their wives, and their children will be making daily offerings, attending temple ceremonies, and honoring their ancestors as Bali has for many centuries.
These facts, which are in my opinion indisputable, are all too often ignored by outside businesses. I “pay my dues” to live here, and I don’t know any other long term expat who hasn’t done likewise. Somewhere else I wrote this, and maybe it’s worth repeating:
“Bali, she is paradise and she is hell. Bali nurtures, Bali destroys. Bali is life, Bali is death. Bali is erotically intoxicating, and brutally sobering. Bali is the extreme of what would be right and what would be wrong, what is pleasure and what is pain. Bali is the source of the ultimate lessons to be learned in life, and the ultimate source of punishment and agony. For certain, Bali is never to be taken lightly, nor will she be ignored.”
Bert Vierstra
Sure.
But if a Banjar treathens people from another village, and forces businesses to take less qualified personel, its difficult to be symphatetic with their goals.
pongken
Bert,
I am building a house in Kumbuh. I hired a good builder from Pejeng. He hired helpers fron Kumbuh. As far as I know he has not been threatened, but rather welcomed for his habit of hiring people from Kumbuh. He and I are quite satisfied with the Kumbuh workers. No one has complained to me that the buider is from Pejeng. Everything goes smoothly if everyone is sensitive to issues of locality and qualifications.
Apparently the managers of The Four Seasons did not show the proper respect and sensitivity.
Ken
dawnofjedi
Roy... in all likelihood your story about the events of the Four Seasons is probably much more accurate than mine. And in retrospect the idea of Ubud's rumor mill generating drama is one I can fully understand as well. To date, I have spent 3 months of my life in Ubud and have experienced firsthand how quickly stories get particularly out of hand in this rather remarkable area. Possibly this aspect of life in Ubud should be the topic another thread someday. Anyway, more to point. I think there is no doubt that the banjar should be given the utmost respect and due. But I do understand that human nature is not perfect and often situations get out of control. It seems to me, with such sensitive issues being balanced between the foreign investors and the localss that misunderstandings are inevitable. The stories mentioned by Bert are quite frightening. It reminded me more of the "Old West" frontier days in the states. It doesnt seem that farfetched that some bigger sort of disturbance has the potential to occur. Just hearing about that left me kind of concerned about the mentality of the place. This one semi-expat (6 months Bali/6 months not) told me different stories about foreign owned business running afoul of the locals, especially the local business competition. The trouble would stem from the success of the foreign owned gallery. Apparently as a result of these conflicts galleries have been burnt to the ground...is this kind of thing true? I just am very interested to understand the "competitive mentality" of the people there, as I have future plans to spend some time there. I would rather not get into any conflict with locals over whether or not I have "paid my dues"...so would anyone have any basics on what those "dues" might be and to whom I will be paying them? What kind of unwritten agreements live outside of those that are penned in any sort of contract? I just hope to avoid any local jealousies or sensitivities. I would not look forward to a night with my local police in my home to deter any would-be trouble as Bert had done. And on top of that, I gather from most of his posts that Bert seems quite well integrated into his community. I would not expect that kind of trouble under those circumstances, but I dont know. So if any of you guys can help me with these questions, I would be much appreciative....
Just as an aside...Roy, what kind of things have you seen going on that makes you think the Balinese are learning not to rely so fully on tourism? What kind of changes do you see? I would think that would be very valuable to them if they could do it in large enough numbers. But as of now , given their present state of reliance on the tourism industry, I am thinking the right political conditions could help the Balinese. I was in Ubud two weeks ago, and I spent some of my last day running around trying to extol the merits of voting to my local friends, and teaching them how this can contribute to political change that might make Bali once again a more tourist friendly place...but maybe I will start another post with this final thought? Maybe tomorrow...
pongken
Dawn,
It's not really about the competitive nature of the Balinese. They are not really that competitive. It is more about their envy and jealousy. Bali is essentially a communal culture, and as communal folk it is only natural for them to think that individual successes should be shared by the larger community. That's the key.
This attitude is completely different from the current American mentality about individual success. It is generally praised, rather than saddling the successful with greater responsibility to their community. The Balinese attitude was probably more prevalent in the early days of American settlement in the "New World". I come from one of the original States, that still to this day refers to itself as a "Commonwealth", not a "State". That is similar to the Balinese mentality of common wealth.
In many ways the Balinese remind me of older New Englanders.
Ken
