DENPASAR – Bali’s tourism leaders are calling for the immediate execution of the three Bali bombers as a crucial final step to help sustain the recovery of the island’s tourism sector.
Bali Update newsletter reports that during a recent meeting with tourism figures in Bali, Indonesia’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, was asked to actively lobby for the rapid execution of Amrozi, Iman Sumudera and Ali Gufron for their roles in the October 2002 bombing.
Explained Al Purwa, chairman of the Bali Chapter of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Operators (ASITA), “We are waiting, the rest of the world is also waiting; when will Amrozi and his friends be executed?
“This is important in order to restore the world’s trust and permit Bali to once again become a holiday destination free of fear of further attacks.”
Minister Wacik has promised that he would meet with the Attorney General of Indonesia to deliver the people of Bali’s wishes to see the three convicted terrorists go before a firing squad.
The Indonesian government faces a tricky dilemma. It also has to deal with the death sentences handed out to a group of young Australians convicted of drug offences in Bali.
Even though most Australians believe that drug runners should be punished severely with long jail terms, there is likely to be a backlash in Australia should the young offenders face a firing squad.
Australians have yet to return to Bali in large numbers even though overall foreign arrivals during the first four months of 2007 totaled 472,082, an improvement of 38% over the same four months in 2006 and the strongest start to any year on record.
