New Year's Eve Riots in Lovina

[ronb]

After a few days with no reports (which puzzled me), the Jakarta Post yesterday reported the riots at around 2am on New Year's morning where one person was killed. The article is here
http://old.thejakartapost.com/Archives/ArchivesDet2.asp?FileID=20090102.C15
but since accessing this page may request you to login - here is part of the report:

One killed, three injured in New Year's brawl
Friday, January 02, 2009
Alit Kertaraharja, Contributor, Buleleng

A violent brawl between two groups of men celebrating New Year's Eve at a local beach left one man dead and two others severely injured.

The dead man was identified as Komang Adi Wismaya, 25, from Cempaga village. The two injured men, Kadek Nano and Gde Ardhi, who are friends of Wismaya, are being treated at Paramasidhi Hospital. A third man escaped with minor injuries.

Wismaya's body was evacuated Thursday morning to the Singaraja Hospital morgue for autopsy. Although by Thursday evening the hospital had yet to announce the cause of death, initial observations revealed stab wounds on the victim's body.

After attending a New Year's Eve party we stayed in a hotel room in Central Lovina and this riot swirled all around with people running screaming down the access way in front of the rooms and also along a back lane behind the rooms - a bit scary.

It reminds me of the Cronulla riots in Sydney in 2005. I don't think anyone died there, but it got international press coverage and now has a Wikipedia entry at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots

With luck, the Lovina incident will remain more low key and hopefully not have too much impact on tourism.

 

[Jimbo]

Living there it must be a bit scary for you Ron? I have been involved in similar scares in different countries and I felt so helpless which was the real scary part for me.

 

[mat]

My Girlfriend just called me saying there had been more deaths in lovina caused by a man with a sword. Is this true? [ she is not willing to go to lovina to find out.] She said outside Ziggi's. Well I'll be there in 9 days so I hope a war hasn't broken out between families, because as we all know they are big. I Love Lovina! [ when there is no violence].
By the way it took me a good half hour "Googleing" to find out anything about the first death [as said by "drowning"] I would think it is being kept quiet to avoid adverse effects on tourism.
Hey Radio Singaraja what about a daily podcast?

 

[hinakos]

Nothing new that these things arent reported. Last new years night (07/08) in amongst the fighting and gang violence that occured outside a popular after club in Bali a westerner was stabbed. It was never reported then, and to this day never has been. Admittedly patially because he didnt want it to be, noetheless he was hospitalised and it was common knowlege to all there that night.
Im sure if these things were reported and splashed across newspapers, the editors would be looking for new jobs.

 

[Markit]

Lovina is giving off some very strange vibrations. Was there a couple of times in the last 2 months and didn't like it much at all.

Was always very hot, I mean really boiling, when the rest of he island is quite pleasant Lovina is sweltering. I guess it doesn't get much of the prevailing winds from the South due to the mountains. And when I was talking to some other westerners about it they said Lovina was really going down what with the kiddy fiddling (Pedos) and all. Sorry to spread nasty rumors but when I was looking at land there they are practically giving it away compared to the rest of Bali so that must mean something too.

Lots of derelict tourist shops and warung...

 

[FreoGirl]

Stuff like that happens all the time in Bali and isn't reported. A few years back I was having some dinner in Tuban and there was a big crowd of people having a fight. One man was stabbed to death and things looked pretty grim for a while. The police were nowhere in sight. I never saw anything in the papers about it. When I was in Lombok last year there was a riot in the popular tourist woodcarving village of Sayang-Sayang with Balinese fighting Sasak and some people apparantly died. Again nothing on the news, and apparantly the riot went on for days.

 

[kanginkauh]

Hello:

It is not correct, that this incident was not reported right away.
The BALI POST reported the details on its front page the next day. And this was not a riot but a fight of some young (drunken) males about one of them talking to a young woman the wrong way.
Further, the Bali Post is full everyday of incidents that might not make international headlines.
I can not detect any fear in reporting unpleasant and possibly damaging stories.
Today there is a headline story in the Bali Post, that owners of a dog with rabbies have been bitten in the Kuta/Legian area. Think of it.

Joerg

 

[ronb]

Ah, Joerg, I stand corrected. I will have to improve my Bahasa Indonesia and then watch the Bali Post more. Maybe Google Translate can help a bit - or at least it can make you smile.