Extortion in the Balinese Tradition

January 31, 2025 | 03:08 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Demanding illegal levies from newcomers tarnishes the image of Bali. Action must be taken against people taking advantage of traditional regulations.

VARIOUS illegal levies demanded from newcomers to Bali are a serious threat to the image of the Island of the Gods as a world class tourist destination. Bali has long captivated tourists with its natural beauty, unique traditions and the friendliness of the people, who are known so for their openness and being welcoming to visitors. But these illegal levies have the potential to ruin this reputation.

In the last few years, illegal levies on newcomers or outsiders to Balinese traditional villages have become increasingly common. These traditional villages, which should be preserving the traditions and religion based on traditional laws, have turned into places where this practice flourishes. The size of these levies varies, depending on the status of the newcomer, and are demanded by a number of people, including the traditional security guards known as pecalang.

These pecalangs have recently been the subject of complaints from newcomers because their function has changed, so they now collect levies, and even extort payments. They also often become security guards for commercial reasons. This shift harms the main function of the pecalang and makes newcomers uncomfortable.

It is true that behind the attraction of Bali as a tourist destination, there is increasing resentment from local people about the dominance of newcomers over the economic sector. Many important aspects such as land, tourist sites and hotels are now in the hands of newcomers. The resulting economic equality leads to poor relations between local people and these newcomers. However, none of this can justify extortion in the guise of supporting the interests of local people.

The regional government should immediately take measures to prevent social tensions worsening. One solution would be to oblige incoming entrepreneurs to work with local partners or to limit newcomer ownership of land in sacred areas. These kinds of policies would help preserve the economic balance without damaging social harmony.

Levies on newcomers are actually governed by Bali Regional Regulation No. 4/201 on Traditional Villages in Bali, as well as a Bali Gubernatorial Regulation on the management of traditional village finances. This regulation specifies the obligatory contributions from Hindus from outside traditional villages and non-Hindus from outside Bali. However, the reality on the ground still shows problems.

Traditional villages are obliged to set up standard levies that satisfy the principles of justice, benefit and appropriacy. Unfortunately, data from the Bali Ombudsman’s office for 2023 shows that of 1,500 traditional villages, only one has properly applied this system. Villages that do not have the required regulation continue to demand levies based on traditional law that do not have fixed standards, with amounts ranging from Rp20,000 to Rp60,000 per person per month.

This reality shows the necessity for a thorough evaluation by the regional government and traditional village heads. If the funding allocation of Rp300 million from the provincial government is insufficient, other options, such as cross subsidies from administrative village funds, could be considered. Moreover, the government must ensure that the regulations applied are inclusive and not discriminative, and do not differentiate between newcomers and local people on the basis of ethnic group, race, religion or other affiliation.

The natural beauty and the friendliness of people living on the Island of the Gods must not be tarnished by the practice of illegal levies that is detrimental to so many people.

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