Police’s removal of Tolak Reklamasi banners at Klungkung regency’s Semarapura Festival was not politically motivated and was strictly about security, says Klungkung Police.
Tolak Reklamasi (reject the reclamation) is a grassroots movement fighting against the reclamation of South Bali’s Benoa Bay, that would result in the construction of Dubai-style artificial islands complete with resorts and an F1 track. It’s not a hundred percent clear if and when this reclamation will really happen since it’s been so dragged out for the past several years, but it’s been highly contested amongst Balinese.
Organizers from ForBali, the activist organization leading ‘Tolak Reklamasi,’ held a press conference yesterday, announcing that they had filed an official letter of protest to Bali Police, Klungkung Police, and the Klungkung regent about their logo’s removal from Semarapura Festival.
Semarapura Festival was held by Klungkung regency to highlight the area’s culture and tourism attractions from Friday, April 28 until earlier this week, on Tuesday, May 2 in front of the Puputan Klungkung Monument.
In response to the complaint from ForBali, Klunkung Police is saying that Tolak Reklamasi flags were only removed from the festival because of the security threat posted by the poles the flags were fastened to—the flags were apparently being carried around the crowded festival with tall poles.
“We did not forcefully seize them, we just secured them,” Klungkung Police Commissioner FX Arendra Wahyudi said, emphasizing that there was a difference.
“Taking into consideration the limited space, and so on. We did not want (the flags) to cause a disruption, it was for the sake of keeping events orderly,” Wahyudi added, as quoted by Bali Post.
“Just imagine, watching a mass of people with a stick. Yesterday, we even found fishing rods. What do you need fishing rods for when watching a concert?” Wahyudi said, providing another example.
Either way, whether police were just removing flags for the security’s sake, or if there was an ulterior political motive not being said, the movement seems to have gotten renewed attention after the incident.
