Poverty Triggers Freeman Action in Bali

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - The rampant thuggery that has recently been rife in Denpasar, can not be separated from the social conditions of society that are still squeezed by economic problems, said an observer.

"For that we need serious handling efforts in overcoming these social problems. This is not an easy job because it involves all components in Bali," said I Gusti Agung Oka Mahagangga, social observer and lecturer at the Faculty of Tourism, Udayana University, Saturday.

If all parties can realize that Bali is living from tourism, then the right step in tourism development, will be the key to alleviating poverty and combating thuggery.

According to Oka Mahagangga, socio-cultural needs to be made a real social mapping of poverty and thuggery in Bali.

Because with a clear social mapping like that, it will be seen concrete steps what can be done according to the potential and problems encountered.

"Thus, poverty and thuggery as a threat to Bali's tourism in the future can be addressed comprehensively by putting aside the egos of each party," he said.

Oka Mahagangga said, tourism development can run synergistically and sustainably for the welfare of the community.

He considered increasing the budget for poverty alleviation programs or increasing social service employees to increase police personnel, was not the right answer.

Poverty, he said, can be overcome by looking at the root of the problem because the character of poverty is influenced by many different factors from one another.

On the other hand, Oka Mahagangga sees that the government in dealing with poverty in Bali, which only looks at East Bali and instead ignores poverty in the provincial city center and its surroundings, should be reviewed.

Some pockets of poverty in the city of Denpasar that are different in character from poverty in eastern Bali, need to be a concern of the government to be able to minimize acts of thuggery or similar crimes.

"It would be nice if all the pockets of poverty in Bali are considered because precisely the hidden poverty, spread randomly in Denpasar City that has the potential to give birth to insecurity that can disrupt the image of tourism in Bali," he said.

(*This Article Has Been Published at ANTARA news Bali, Saturday, 23 October 2010.