Here is the news

Here in Bali there have been two police officers killed in the line of duty by a foreigner this year.  This never happened...ever, in all the prior 18 years that Bali has been my home. 

Is this just coincidental, or can it be tied into opening up free tourist visas to the 155+ countries that never had this ease of access to Indonesia in the past? 

In short, the question (in my mind) is, should tourism success be determined by numbers of arrivals, or the quality and economic benefits of quality tourism?

Thank you for the news..May be you can put the link to news ..
  Country cant be reason for scanning tourist, My partner is  Thai and I see MANY  low life tourist coming from US, UK, Germany and Australia, they will get involve in fights with locals and do drugs.. Tourist visa cant be for few elite country and not for others, they have to find other ways to scan tourist or control crimes...

I love Thailand too.  In fact, for most of the past 23 years I have been there for at least three weeks each year, and my Balinese wife and our two younger sons just returned last week to Bali from a vacation there while our oldest son is exploring California.

That said, I take tourism to Bali very seriously insofar at the ecosystem of our tiny island is extremely fragile, and she (Bali) can only take so much. 

In my mind, Bali must be as mindful of guests as any singular family would be equally mindful of guests into their own home.

I've been up to Dieng many times so I know first hand what the place is like. The craters spew hot mud that overflows from time to time but they usually just bubble inside themselves.
Not yesterday

http://jakartaglobe.id/news/sileri-crat … ng-dozens/

A rescue helicopter crashed later killing 2 but with others missing.

This is a big problem that isn't going away and is likely to get worse.
I've visited a few of these illegal villages so I know first hand the places are populated by people desperate to earn money for their families.

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/11163 … in-jakarta

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Newcomers after the 2017 Lebaran mass exodus are barred from setting up illegal huts under the flyovers, bridges, or anywhere else in Jakarta, according to Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

"All newcomers from the regions are not allowed to establish illegal huts, either under the bridges or under the flyovers," the governor remarked at the Jakarta city hall here on Tuesday.

Hence, Djarot said he had given instructions to the relevant agencies to tighten the supervision, as well as guarding the entire area under the bridges and flyovers in Jakarta.

.

.

.

.

Amigo, it may be some of these bone head FPI types need to be reminded how things worked out for the "mastermind" terrorist, Noordin Top.   

.

Indonesia is a bad choice for drug runners, as the dead one found out the hard way.
The profits are as massive as the misery but dead is very dead so the dealers should take the hint and avoid Indonesia.

http://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias- … affickers/

Serang, Banten/Jakarta. Two months of careful detective work by Jakarta and Depok police officers ended up in the seizure on Thursday (13/07) of one ton of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as "sabu," worth Rp 1.5 trillion — around $112 million — smuggled from China, reportedly the "largest ever" seizure of the popular street drug in Indonesia.

With that much involved, it won't be long before the ones who were caught and not shot by the police will be facing a firing squad.   

Ubudian wrote:

With that much involved, it won't be long before the ones who were caught and not shot by the police will be facing a firing squad.   

Given the death and misery the dealers create I find it very hard to think of an argument against firing squads. One managed his own when he ran away because there's a better than average chance the cops will shoot you if you do that. Ho hum.

Whatever your feeling and whatever rights and wrongs you may feel are here, one fact remains - Indonesia is a very bad place for drug dealers to visit.
Since the police already have a pretty harsh way of dealing with dealers, this will only increase the numbers of dealers killed whilst resisting arrest.
As this situation is unlikely to get any better for the dealers, I must suggest they don't bother coming here if they want to stay safe.

https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/07/2 … ist-Arrest

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Jokowi once again issued a firm statement regarding the war against narcotics. In front of an audience that consisted of PPP party members, Jokowi requested police personnel to shoot drug dealers who show defiance against authorities.

“If they resist [even the slightest], just shoot them,” said Jokowi on Friday, July 21.

Nice one, Mr Tito.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017 … -rice.html

The National Police are cracking down on the distribution of bogus premium rice after a company allegedly repackaged subsidized rice and rebranded it as premium rice.

The police's food commodity task force on Thursday evening confiscated 1,161 tons of rice from a warehouse belonging to PT Indo Beras Unggul in Bekasi, West Java.

It is at this warehouse that the repackaging process allegedly took place.

Speaking at a press conference, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said Indo Beras had deceived customers by repackaging the IR 64-type rice, which is subsidized by the government, as premium rice under the brands Ayam Jago and Maknyus.

The rice was sold for around Rp 20,000 (US$1.50) per kilogram, more than double the price for IR-64 rice.

.

.

Djarot's words are music to my ears.  More importantly, they are music to the ears of each and every Indonesian I know.

Fred, in case you haven't seen this already...

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06 … sm/1318256

Indonesia is a bad choice as far as asylum seekers are concerned.
I'll post more on this story in another thread but just this for now.

http://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesia-w … on-office/

Jakarta. Indonesia is committed to improve its handling of asylum seekers and refugees, but with a proviso that it will not host them forever, director general of immigration Ronny F. Sompie said on Monday (24/07).

Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention – a United Nations treaty that defines the term "refugees," outlines their rights, and obligations of receiving countries to protect them – has been criticized for its poor treatment of the displaced, as both the central government and local administrations see hosting refugees as straining their already tight budgets.

"The global refugee crisis needs to be addressed thoroughly by participating in problem-solving while keeping Indonesia's national sovereignty and interests in mind," Ronny said in a panel discussion on the implementation of the 2016 Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 125 – the only legal instrument the country has to handle asylum seekers and refugees.

Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees shows there are about 14,000 displaced in Indonesia, half of them from Afghanistan. The figure is still tiny compared to 22 million refugees worldwide, or even to hundreds of thousands hosted by Thailand and Malaysia.

Aside from religious reasons, I wonder why 7,000 Afghan refugees decided to come to Indonesia when they are not really welcome. They would all be more welcome in places like Canada or Germany or even in the USA last year. That goes for refugees from virtually every other country too. Indonesia seems a pretty bad choice.

.

abdulkhalil wrote:

Aside from religious reasons, I wonder why 7,000 Afghan refugees decided to come to Indonesia when they are not really welcome. They would all be more welcome in places like Canada or Germany or even in the USA last year. That goes for refugees from virtually every other country too. Indonesia seems a pretty bad choice.

According to the ones I chatted with, they were trying for Australia but got stuck.
More later on another thread.

"Aside from religious reasons, I wonder why 7,000 Afghan refugees decided to come to Indonesia when they are not really welcome. They would all be more welcome in places like Canada or Germany or even in the USA last year. That goes for refugees from virtually every other country too. Indonesia seems a pretty bad choice."

Although Indonesia is the only G20 member in all of SE Asia, it is still a developing nation...unlike the US, Germany or Canada.  Personally, I think Jokowi's concentration of efforts intended for the benefit of the people of Indonesia is the right thing to do at this time. 

Of course, those Indonesians who want to help support the needs of refugees, which is a very worth cause, are always able to do so through a number of NGO's.

.

A quick look at this and other stories says the Jak admin ordered the place closed but it, according to this story, seems to be open.

I won't be shopping there this week.

https://m.detik.com/news/berita/3584164 … enyesatkan

Rights, wrongs and opinions apart, I have to strongly recommend drug dealers leave Indonesia alone because they are very likely to end up dead.

https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/08/0 … rs-on-Spot

TEMPO.CO, Depok - Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu supports the order to shoot on the spot the drug dealers smuggling illegal drugs into Indonesia. He also agrees that drug dealers must be charged with a severe punishment.

Fred wrote:

I would like to start a thread quoting news pieces about Indonesia.
The thread isn't intended for debate about the rights and wrongs of any given situation, more to show expats and potential expats a little about what makes the headlines here, hopefully giving them an insight into what makes Indonesia tick, but a little light comment isn't a problem.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016 … begal.html

Semarang Police have ordered the Elang Team, comprising of 45 policemen, to shoot violent motorcycle thieves (begal) caught in the act.

Semarang Police chief Sr. Comr. Abiyoso Seno Aji said Friday his subordinates would not hesitate to shoot the thieves.

“We try verbal persuasion, if they obey, praise the Lord, but if they insist on committing crimes, I would be glad to reduce the Semarang population,” Abiyoso said.

Indonesia, eh? Thanks for sharing.

.

Some good news, and something Jakarta really needs.
Next up, the local enforcement agencies will have to keep a strict no trading policy so they can actually be used rather than be blocked by stalls.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017 … -year.html

Jakarta will build 80 kilometers of sidewalks this year, the Bina Marga road agency has stated.

The agency's planning division head, Riri Asnita, said on Tuesday that 24 kilometers of sidewalks will be built by the agency, while the remaining 56 kilometers will be developed by Bina Marga sub-agencies in the city's five municipalities.

Sidewalks will be developed in areas near the Istiqlal Grand Mosque and Jl. Veteran in Central Jakarta; Jl. Mahakam, Jl. Barito and Jl. Kyai Maja in South Jakarta; Jl. Jatinegara Barat and Jl. Jatinegara Timur in East Jakarta; Old Town and Sunter in North Jakarta; and Jl. Kyai Tapa in West Jakarta.

.

This one is for all who drive or ride on Indonesia's roads.
ALWAYS have a dash cam recording because you really need evidence if you have a prang.
It's simple enough - no evidence on your side and you're buggered against witness evidence from others.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017 … crash.html

Police in South Jakarta have named 28-year-old South Korean national Seong Hoon Seok a suspect in a car crash that killed a motorbike rider.

"Yes, he has been named a suspect," the head of the law enforcement division at the Jakarta Police Traffic Corps, Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto, said on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The accident happened late on Friday, when Seong allegedly rammed his Honda Jazz sedan into a motorbike carrying a couple identified by police as Dadang and Titin.

Dadang reportedly died from a head injury. Titin was thrown to the ground but only sustained minor injuries from the crash.

Budiyanto blamed Seong for the crash.

"Our investigation shows that the driver was reckless and was not concentrating on the road," Budiyanto said.

An eyewitness told police investigators handling the case that Seong's sedan had been speeding along Jl. Warung Jati Barat in Pancoran, South Jakarta, shortly before the crash.

Regardless of any views either way as to the legitimacy of police shooting drug dealers, the fact is Indonesia is a bad place to set up that sort of business.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-indon … SKCN1AW0PO

JAKARTA (Reuters) - The number of suspected drug dealers killed by Indonesian police has more than tripled so far this year from the whole of 2016, activists said on Wednesday, raising concerns the country may be headed towards a bloody Philippines-style war on narcotics.

At least 60 suspected dealers have died so far this year, up from last year's 18, Amnesty International said.

Massage places here are commonly thinly disguised brothels so I would  suggest taking great care when looking for a massage to relieve that pain in the back. I gave up all hope and packed the idea in years ago because I could find a place that didn't parade semi naked girls out when you wandered in.
Some are worse than others.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017 … -girl.html

Police are investigating a massage parlor businessman named Bowo over allegations of human trafficking in Bekasi regency, West Java.

Bekasi Police women and children protection unit head Insp. Aliyani said on Monday that the police suspected Bowo of trafficking a 16-year-old who tried to get a job as a shop keeper or domestic helper.

Aliyani said someone identified as E introduced the teenager to Bowo, who later sedated, raped and trafficked the girl.

“The girl, while unconscious, was taken to a hotel room in South Tambun, where she was raped by another man. Hours later, the student regained consciousness and was in shock. Bowo gave her some money,” Aliyani said as quoted by tempo.co.

.

Good news - but not for those arrested.

The cops in my area have been having a crackdown on motorbikes for the usual no helmet and so on so I took an extended watch to see if they were taking bribes. I am pleased to report the only paper being handed over was legal tickets, not a sign of any cash at all.
Just to note, the cops had no way to know I was watching so it wasn't a show for me.

https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/08/2 … gal-Levies

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Internal Affairs Division of National Police (Propam) arrested five traffic police personnel for allegedly collecting illegal levies. The police personnel serving their duties at the Semanggi Toll Gate in South Jakarta.

The arrests were made on Tuesday evening, August 22. The arrested police personnel are Brig. DF, Brig. RF, 1st Brig. MT, 2nd Brig. AP, and Brig. HPS.

A million warnings and the fools still do it.

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/11238 … otic-drugs

Putussibau, W Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - The district court of Putussibau, West Kalimantan, has sentenced Malaysian citizen Chong Chee Kom (42) to death for illegally importing 31,646.89 kilograms of metamphetamine and 1,988 ecstasy pills into the country.

"Based on facts unveiled during court sessions, Chong Chee Kok was proven guilty of illegally importing first-category narcotic drugs," presiding judge Handoyo said after the session here on Thursday afternoon.

The defendant violated Article 113 paragraph 2 of Law Number 35, 2009, on narcotic drugs.

Fred wrote:

A million warnings and the fools still do it.

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/11238 … otic-drugs

Putussibau, W Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - The district court of Putussibau, West Kalimantan, has sentenced Malaysian citizen Chong Chee Kom (42) to death for illegally importing 31,646.89 kilograms of metamphetamine and 1,988 ecstasy pills into the country.

"Based on facts unveiled during court sessions, Chong Chee Kok was proven guilty of illegally importing first-category narcotic drugs," presiding judge Handoyo said after the session here on Thursday afternoon.

The defendant violated Article 113 paragraph 2 of Law Number 35, 2009, on narcotic drugs.

Fred, as usual, you're spot-on. However,  desperate people, often do foolish things, and for various, personal reasons. I'd venture a guess that Mr. Chong is just a single "cog", in a larger machination of things. His apparent "single fall-guy" silence, probably guarantees the safety of his immediate family. Thus, he was already prepared (in advance) to take the (probability-factored) risk, of having to make that ultimate sacrifice.

We haven't read the news article yet, but we'll bet you a dollar, to the dime, that Mr, Chong is probably a University graduate, who was deeply in financial debt, and desperate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update notice! Just read the article "between-the-lines".   It seems that Mr.Chong was the probable first-time runner "sacrificial-lamb" decoy, at that particular border check-point, especially when one considers the "drift" of the closing paragraph, quoted from the original article, as follows:

"With regard to the success in uncovering the case, the joint team of Malaysian-Indonesian border officers had been given an award and promotion which was handed over personally by the chief of the XII/Tanjungpura Regional Military Command, Major General Andika, on Aug 9.(*) Ditto!

Btw, Fred,  thanks for posting these news articles. We sincerely appreciate your efforts. .

I've seen this many times in a variety of places and I have to be honest, some aren't up to what I'd expect in that they don't screen the waiting animals from the killing of the one at the front of the queue.
That means the beasts know what's coming and are in distress.
As I understand it, for the meat to be halal the animal must be killed with the minimum distress so those killed in fear because they see the ones in front slaughtered may not be halal.
I'm no expert but it only seems reasonable to do the deed in the best possible manner whilst maintaining the point of the job.

https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/08/2 … 9-Officers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As many as 129 officers will monitor the slaughter execution of sacrificial animals for the Eid al-Adha Day in Jakarta greater area. Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health at the Agricultural Ministry said they will be spread across areas of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek).

“Their responsibilities include maintaining the quality, health and appropriateness of sacrificial animals on Eid al-Adha celebration on September first, 2017,” the ministry's acting director of the veterinarian public health division Fadjar Sumping Tjatur Rasa said in Jakarta on Friday, August 25.