BALI – The Island of the Gods will become the Island of the Gendarmes next week with the arrival of delegates at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
More than 7,000 Indonesian armed troops and police, complemented by UN Forces, will be on the streets of Bali to protect the estimated 15,000 delegates.
The resort area of Nusa Dua will be in lockdown, with police and army patrolling entry and exit points.
Organisers are preparing to welcome 120 ministers of state and high-ranking delegations from 189 countries.
Disruption to normal tourist activities and movement will be kept to a minimum, although the extra security will cause some delays.
The Ngurah Rai international airport has been upgraded to cope with the extra aircraft arriving and the security demands associated with the conference.
Ngurah Rai Airport Authority director Nyoman Suwetja Putra said new scanning machines, extra computers at immigration and counters dedicated to the UNFCC delegates would help to avoid congestion.
Up to 106 CCTV cameras have been installed as part of a plan to ultimately equip the airport with 200 cameras.
The authority will close the airport to charter flights, except those transporting the delegates, for the duration of the conference, which runs from December 3-14.
-by Ian Jarrett
