Luh De Suriyani – Environmental activists staged protests over the planned reclamation of Benoa Bay in front of the governor's office on Wednesday, demanding the governor revoke the controversial project's permit.
The activists from Kekal (the Working Committee for Environment Advocacy) – an alliance of organizations that include Walhi and university students' executive bodies, accused the governor of deceiving the public by issuing a permit that allows the development of various tourist spots in Benoa.
"The governor issued the permit secretly, without the public being aware of it. He even pretended he didn't know about the reclamation plan when asked by journalists last month," said Pande Taman Bali, the protest coordinator.
Kekal argued that the permit granted to PT Tirta Wahana Bahari Internasional (TWBI) had violated some regulations, including the coastal management law that forbids commercialization of coastal waters, and the presidential regulation on spatial planning that classified Benoa as a conservation area.
The group also claimed the governor had violated the moratorium on hotel development in south Bali that he himself had issued.
The permit was also legally flawed because it was issued without incorporating the Amdal (environmental impact analysis) document.
"We demand the governor revoke the permit and oppose the reclamation that would damage the ecosystem and rob natural resources from the local people in Benoa," Pande said.
In the demonstration, some protesters staged a theatrical act about local fishermen being against investors. I Wayan Widiantara, who represents a youth organization in Banjar Kauh customary village in Benoa, said there had been positive and negative feelings among the villagers about the extensive project.
"The investor has been making a lot of donations of staple foods and building development here," he said.
Before the villagers were aware of the reclamation, they were only informed that an investor was interested in reclaiming Pulau Pudut, a two-hectare island in the area.
"At first, we were glad to hear that the island would be restored. We didn't know about a big project behind that, a project that would damage the environment to make way for luxurious facilities," he said, adding that he was worried the reclamation would cause abrasion that would affect the residential areas.
A series of protests will be staged until this Saturday, when the governor is scheduled to hold a discussion on the controversial issue.