In Reply to: WHY WHY WHY posted by Lee on Sunday, 2. October 2005 at 06:25 Bali Time:
This will not be popular and may even be removed however........,
Bali is part of a country that is designated a Islamic state. You do not need 100,000's of active extremists for what happened last night to happen again.
It only takes one.
Who thought that after the Sari club bombing that this would happen again?
Certainly not me. I was in Bali 3 weeks ago yet I felt uneasy the whole time that I was there with my wife and 2 sons and restained our holiday from what we had done previously in 2002 ( our last trip).
The fact is that we are not wanted in Indonesia. The Balinese, on the face of it, may want us there but that is tourist and dollar driven and certainly is not from friendship. Proof in the pudding...talk to any Aussie male who has spent anytime in a Bali prison and how if the Balinese could get to them they would be in serious trouble.
This will happen again and Australians will again be targeted. As it is impossible to patrol every kilometre of the Australian coast line in terms of border security.....it is impossible for the Indonesian authorities to stop this type of heinous attack from occuring.
If an extremist wants to kill, put the fear of god into tourists visting Indonesia, he or she will do that and take themselves out in the course of action. They do not care. They have no fear for themselves. They have no concern for the aftermath. They do not care about the Balinese suffering economically.
You.
Well you have to make a decision on your future trips including the safety of your loved ones. Unfortunately, the Balinese will have to be looked after by their own in Indonesia.
Yes , this is giving into fear and yes they have won...if you believe that the aim is solely to stop tourists enjoying themselves in Bali. But I question whether that is the goal of the extremists ?
For me, the safety of my family and friends and that of all Australians is far more important than a 2 week holiday, cheap clothing, seeing another culture and great surf. I can pay a little more and go from Perth to Queensland and spend time on the Gold Coast.
Think seriously about your family / friends before thinking of going to any part of Indonesia or any country where extremists are known to be active and targeting westerners. You only get one chance at life.