Indonesia: Bali tightens surveillance on foreign tourists after criminal incidents

JAKArTA: Indonesia's Bali island is increasing its monitoring of foreign tourists following several criminal incidents that have disrupted local communities.

The country's Directorate General of Immigration, in collaboration with local police authorities, has stepped up surveillance of foreign nationals, including enforcing traffic regulations, reports Xinhua news agency.

Saffar Muhammad Godam, the director of supervision and enforcement at the Directorate General of Immigration, said foreigners who break the law would face immigration administrative sanctions designed to deter future violations.

"Immigration administrative sanctions against foreigners who violate the laws are given so that there is a deterrent effect," Godam said at the Denpasar Immigration Detention Center in Bali, as quoted by local media.

Meanwhile, the Bali office of the country's Ministry of Law and Human Rights has stepped up to give a mandate to the authorities of traditional villages in the province to oversee foreign tourists' activities and take action against those who violate local laws and customs.

"This is an effort to maintain security and order in Bali. By involving village authorities, it will be easier for us, as the immigration, to monitor the foreigners," head of the office, Pramella Yunidar Pasaribu, said recently in Denpasar.

Bali is one of the resort islands in the Southeast Asian country that welcomes several foreign tourists every year. The island is famous for its beaches and sea scenery.

However, in recent weeks, local news agencies have reported a number of crimes and misbehaviour carried out by foreign tourists that caused public disorder or violated the national law and the local customary rules.

On Wednesday, Indonesia's immigration authorities arrested 103 foreigners, 12 women and 91 men, at a villa in Bali for allegedly committing cybercrimes, including online gambling. All of them will soon be deported.

A number of local media outlets also reported that many local people on the island complained about the behaviour of foreign tourists.

Earlier this month, a foreign national in Bali went viral on social media in Indonesia for stopping a female motorist, then hitting and kicking her until she fell in the middle of the road.

Another foreigner, allegedly a UK national, gained attention on social media with a video showcasing him seizing a truck carrying statues and driving it recklessly from Kerobokan, North Kuta, to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. He caused the truck to hit a number of cars on the road and damaged some facilities at the airport.

In the past few months, some foreign tourists were reported to have ridden motorbikes recklessly in Bali, endangering other drivers. The Bali immigration office also found several foreign tourists working illegally in Bali.

Separately, Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said that it was necessary to take definite steps to enforce stricter rules for foreigners in order to maintain comfortable conditions for local residents in Bali.

"So the key is rule enforcement if there are irregularities. The concrete step is to impose strict law enforcement for the violators. There is no tolerance, especially when it comes to the falsification of residence permits. The government will not hesitate to deport," Uno said.

Sociologist Wahyu Budi Nugroho from Bali-based Udayana University said the unlawful behaviour shown by the foreign tourists in Bali does not only hurt the local community but also the island of Bali, which is known for its cultural and spiritual tourist attractions.

Nugroho said there should be strict sanctions for those who carry out illegal activities.