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Letters to the Editor:

What of the Balinese?

Australia needs to examine its conscience regarding exploitative tourism 
in Bali and similar tourist spots. The bombs at Kuta beach raise difficult 
questions beyond the predictable terrorist/nationalism analysis dominating 
the mainstream media.

We are informed that the Sari Club was a "westerners only" bar. The 
Balinese who were killed and injured must therefore have been staff and 
various other "service" providers. Sounds a bit like apartheid?

The blatant policy of some bars is not required in other places such as the 
shopping strips of Kuta and Ubud. Balinese are not doing their shopping 
alongside the tourists. The whole tourist industry is geared to serve 
Western tourists and it is the Balinese who do the serving.

We are told that the hospital in Bali is of a third world standard and that 
the staff did their best to treat casualties in near-impossible 
circumstances. However, Bali is not an undeveloped island. Billions of 
dollars have been invested over the last couple of decades creating a five-
star living standard for those western tourists who visit, and astronomical 
profits for the western and elite Indonesian investors. Why is there still 
only third world health care in Bali?

In 1997, this fat white tourist didn't have to look far to see the Balinese 
with rotting teeth, living simply from hand to mouth, housed in the small 
forgotten spaces among the garish tourist industry, and taking a much-
needed nap in a stall which is open for 16 hours, 7 days a week.

Child labour is pretty easy to find and housing for locals doesn't reach 
the standards of even the budget backpacker establishments. But it would 
also have been easy to avert my gaze from the rotting teeth, the narrow 
lanes behind the shops, the scrawny chickens and mangy dogs.

Beer in hand, swathed in a cheap sarong, it would have been very easy to 
focus on the knick-knacks and gloss over the glaring inequalities.

Instead, I could have noticed the "generous nature" of the "tolerant" 
Balinese, as frequently reported in recent news features since the 
bombings. Poverty with a smile... these platitudes ring hollow like the old 
"noble savage".

How can the Balinese be other than generous when they depend on richer 
tourists for their livelihood? And how could anyone be other than 
"tolerant" faced with a nightclub full of drunken westerners whose money is 
so essential?

As far as I'm aware, it doesn't matter whether the sleazy bars and kitschy 
stalls offend Balinese sensibilities or not. The whole tourist industry 
monster is well beyond the control of the locals.

I have no doubt that the Balinese are just as generous and tolerant as any 
other population, and I could even believe that their culture emphasises 
these qualities.

However, there is simply no way of truly gauging these attributes when the 
only forum of cultural exchange is so heavily burdened by economic 
inequality and the exploitative tourist trade.

Evelyn Barnes
NSW

The ALP's loss in Cunningham has produced much advice on how the ALP may 
restore its fortunes. However, all remedies sought are within the framework 
of the two-party system.

Find a charismatic leader, change the policies of the ALP significantly or 
come up with a John Button, etc.

In reality, major systemic change is required to renew Australia's entire 
political system and it is long overdue. Australians must look outside the 
square!

The two party system works well if there are significant policy differences 
between these parties so as to create a meaningful Opposition. That is no 
longer the case at all. Attempts to restore that situation will fail.

The answer is proportional representation which produces a true multi 
party-system. This should rejuvenate and reform Australian Parliaments.

It is democratic, provides variety, quality and a higher degree of public 
participation. The Progressive Labour Party recently made a substantial 
submission to a Parliamentary Inquiry on Electoral Reform to promote this 
idea but found that the Committee is dominated by the major parties.

A public debate outside the square is needed. We are calling on the media 
to provide space and time. The vicious circle can be broken.

Klaas Woldring
Progressive Labour Party

In upgrading the danger to Australians in Indonesia and telling them to 
"depart", Alex Downer made a stunning admission. He said that tour 
operators had complained in the past that strong warnings had cut their 
business. So he had been downgrading the warnings. But now, after the Kuta 
bombing, he was upgrading the warnings.

Denis Kevans
NSW

Despite the tempo increasing the propaganda was not being effective. 
Strident and drastic war rhetoric was needed. Another September 11?

But not at home. We needed to jolt our neighbours and a named organisation 
to be made the terrorist perpetrator. Don't worry about firm evidence — it 
wasn't necessary before and it won't be needed now.

Just keep pushing the allegation and claims of complicity against the 
selected organisation and the continuous association will have the desired 
result.

The government will be able to push ahead with their repressive legislation 
in the name of anti-terrorism and tighten their fascist control of the 
people.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance and vigilance was never more 
needed than at the present time.

B Appleton
NSW