In Reply to: I remember posted by rakini on Thursday, 29. May 2008 at 08:08 Bali Time:
The British army imposed the no topless rule in Bali as they claimed it was a distraction to their soldiers.
Topless WAS part of the culture but is no more. Just like at about the same era a decent woman in the west would not show her ankles or be seen outdoors hatless.
Balinese are modest people and in today's culture it is a no-no. Also, not all Balinese are Hindu, and if you look closely, the Muslim Balinese are usually more covered up than Hindu Balinese (shoulders, length of skirts etc).