’m Balinese and I’ve been living in Bali for 20 years. This is the first time I’m trying to write in English. Sorry if I made any grammar mistakes in this answer. I’m open to suggestions and corrections.
The reasons why Bali is not safe anymore are a combination of the narrow job market and the influx of low skilled internal migrants from eastern Indonesia. Specifically from East Nusa Tenggara. I apologize to my friends from NTT for any offense — what I’m saying doesn’t represent everyone from there, and I don’t mean to be racist or spread negativity. I’m just speaking in stereotypes.
We all know that Bali is one of the most popular tourist destinations, with the highest number of visitors, even from our own citizens. It is also one of the richest provinces. They thought living in Bali was much better.
But they didn’t know that many people from Java, Madura, and West Nusa Tenggara had the same thought. And then, we Balinese got a bunch of competitors and big problems.”
So, they came in droves to Bali, filling up the slums, flooding the streets with vehicles, and increasing crime in our provincial prisons.
When you drive in Bali and come across someone driving recklessly, or a person who is causing a commotion and fighting while drunk, it’s very unlikely that a Balinese person would be doing that. There are only two possibilities: Russian tourists or migrants who are hopeless in trying to find jobs.
Now, we can no longer leave our vehicles on the roadside with the keys in them. In the past, we were very proud of the safety on our island with stories like someone accidentally leaving their motorbike by the roadside, and the vehicle would still be there when they returned.
If you do that in Badung or Denpasar, say goodbye to your vehicle.
Recently, many murder, theft, and rape cases have been increasingly heard in Bali, which used to be calm and safe. It cannot be denied that the majority of these cases were committed by migrants from East Nusa Tenggara.
In fact, migrants from East Nusa Tenggara have a hard time finding housing due to the actions of some of them who often cause trouble, get drunk, and fight. It makes us, the Balinese, inevitably become racist. not necessarily, but the majority may feel the need to do so for their safety, and avoid problems.
Generally in Bali, many migrants from East Nusa Tenggara work as online drivers and in other manual labor jobs. They have a hard time entering the tourism-based job market, as very few of them have the required skills. Moreover, the Balinese people themselves have already flooded this sector.
In fact, due to the influx of migrants seeking a livelihood in Bali, the local government even implemented racial policies, such as only allowing vehicles with local plates to become tourism drivers. The community has also intensified this racial sentiment by rejecting migrants from East Nusa Tenggara from renting accommodations.
Now Bali is currently facing a safety issue.
Hi everyone, I never knew my answer would get so many responses. I’ve never received so many comments and upvotes in Quora Indonesia like I do in Quora English right now. You need to know that I answered this question to practice my English. ChatGPT helped me correct the paragraph I asked about, and I feel embarrassed because I received praise that is not entirely my own work.
I sincerely apologize if my answer still sounds racist and tendentious. I didn’t do much research and didn’t provide valid sources for my statement, but rather just looked at the latest crime data and drew general conclusions from the opinions of people around me.
I still don’t understand how strong or how mild an English statement can be accepted.
Racist behavior is absolutely unacceptable, and I am fully aware that we, as Balinese people, need to improve our attitude. Blaming other Indonesians is also unjustifiable, but how can we say they are not guilty, when we often encounter such people in our lives?
However, I will not deny that Balinese society also has wrong or equally bad behaviors. But from the beginning, I have tried not to bring any sentiments other than answering this question and just learning to write in English.
I welcome all opinions, objections, corrections, and anything you write in the comment section to let me know that I still have a lot to learn. Thank you so much for all responses.
Russian mafia. Fraud and burglary, drugs and hard crime.
An expert’s point of view on a current event.
Russians Flock to Bali to Avoid War as Locals Grumble
In 2020, Russian tourists dominated Bali’s deportation list. The crimes were theft, breaking VISA rules, running out of bills, drug and weapons trafficking, animal smuggling, and ATM scams. Bali newspaper.
It got to be so bad that hoteliers wouldn’t book them for fear they wouldn’t pay their bills.
One Russian tried to smuggle a live Orangutan out of Bali in his suitcase.
An influx of newcomers is disturbing Indonesia’s tourist economy.
They’re coming over here, they’re taking our jobs, and they don’t even speak English—let alone Indonesian.
For decades, the inhabitants of Bali, Indonesia, have had tourists flock to their island. Locals have long grumbled quietly about misbehaving visitors and increasingly overwhelming numbers, but the huge number of jobs tied to the industry meant these sentiments remained muted. A recent wave of Russians, however, has sparked a rush of complaint.
The number of those arriving is still well below pre-pandemic levels, but unlike the short-stay tourists of the past, many of the new arrivals are settling in for the long haul—looking to escape potential conscription and Russia’s bleak domestic situation.
On March 14, Bali Gov. I Wayan Koster asked the central government to stop Russians and Ukrainians from receiving visas-on-arrival. He also plans to ban foreigners from renting motorbikes. Currently, the Indonesian central government seems disinclined to agree, but these moves reflect the growing frustration felt by Bali’s locals.
Many of the allegations made against the Russians—drunkenness, disrespect of local culture, and dangerous driving—have long been leveled against visitors from across the world. However, Russians are widely seen as particularly egregious offenders. “The Australians also cause problems, that’s for sure, but they are just drunk persons,” said Deedee Sinaga, who works at a Bali tourism agency. (Australians are Bali’s most frequent visitors.) “Whatever they do it’s just childish naughtiness, kind of annoying but that’s about it. But the Russians—no, they think they own the place.”
Russians jailed for drug dealing, fraud and burglary and prostitution.
Russian tourism and crime seem to go hand in hand at exotic locations where they holiday to escape the cold. In Bali, they’ve just about had enough!
Three Russian whores who entered Indonesia using business and tourist visas were deported by immigration authorities in Bali on March 10, 2023. The authorities said they were whores offering their services on the Island of Gods.
