THK and Hotels (4)

Socio-Cultural Conflict, An Illustration

Introduction
Tri Hita Karana Tourism Awards & Accreditations (THK Awards) in 2005 is five years old. However, there are people still putting it into question, “What is the background of executing this program? Why does this program target hotels? Does not the hotel ‘only’ appeal for capital and profit/loss, while THK puts forward harmony and togetherness principles? Is it possible that both poles—capital and profit on the one hand, while harmony and togetherness spirit on the other hand—can coalesce? So, what is the concrete result of the THK Awards after five years?
Bali Travel News, starting from the 14th edition carries comprehensive articles around the carrying out of THK Awards. Based on the background of the program launched, its method and execution mechanism up to the positive impact comes into view after five years.

Impreciseness of understanding on harmony added with lack of togetherness spirit, in fact, can have an effect on several negative excesses. They continually bring to pass negative influence as well on tourism. This verifies that tourism sector is significantly sensitive to a variety of flares in the community. Moreover, if such flares risk security, health aspects and the like that automatically make travellers reluctant to come.
As illustration, it can be recalled the socio-cultural conflicts that arose within the Balinese community that appeared due to the weakness of understanding on harmony and inferiority of spirit to implement the principles of togetherness as mandated in the THK concept.
November 1992’s case, namely the desire of government through the office of Ministry for Culture and Tourism to decide Besakih Temple as culture reserve and world’s historical heritage building was severely opposed by a parts of the Balinese community. Non-government organizations and Hindu young figures declared that they were ready to charge the government to the court if such desire was compelled. They also called it into question, why the highly glorious Demak Mosque as the inheritance religious leader and Jakarta Cathedral Church were not made into culture reserve.
There, it’s shown that weakness and restrictedness on the understanding of community about sense and significance of ‘culture reserve’ and ‘world historical heritage’, that as soon as the idea of ‘making it into culture reserve’ was spontaneously rejected uncompromisingly. At that time—probably on these days, too—‘culture reserve’ and ‘world cultural heritage’ were only grasped as authorizing of Besakih so by ‘making it into culture reserve’ is worried that it will restrain the freedom of devotees to pay homage. Or in other words, if Besakih temple is drawn up as culture reserve and concurrently recognized as world historical heritage building as though ‘the proprietorship’ of the biggest temple in Bali changed hands.
Mega project of Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) at Bukit Pecatu (Badung), June 1993, also provoked prolonged pros and cons. This mega project was as well once opposed all out by a group of people that done in the name of ‘Balinese community’. Reason of such refusal varies and the most dominant is in terms of religious philosophy. In Bali is there is a belief in dewa nawa sanga (existence of gods or divine light/God’s manifestation that abides in nine-fold division of space—i.e. north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest and central. Lord Vishnu, namely God’s manifestation as preserver of the cosmos along with its content, is believed to abide in the north. Therefore, GWK mega project that locates at Bukit Pecatu (South Bali) is comprehended by the fragmentary community to be contradictory to the concept of dewa nawa sanga as mentioned above that it should be cancelled. However, GWK persists in operating;Bali Nirwana Resort (BNR) project at Tanah Lot (Tabanan), November 1993, provoked student demonstration for weeks and even months. Reason of the refusal was associated with religious faith. Sacredness of Tanah Lot Temple, then, was put forward to become crucial argument. If BNR project was resumed, according to demonstrators, it automatically interferes with the sacredness of Tanah Lot Temple. Other than the reason of interfering the temple’s holiness, there was also other community group associating that BNR project failed to comply with land allocation as mandated by Regional Legislation on Comprehensive Plan on Spatial Layout of Bali Province. People and student demonstration were indeed sufficiently intense, however, the project stood on its ground. Yet, it’s noteworthy that community’s offence pertaining to the project leaves a trace for so long, of which expression directed to BNR.
Padanggalak Beach Project (East Denpasar), October 1997. This extremely caused a commotion on the inhabitant of East Denpasar. Road access to the project was blockaded by local community and guarded all day and night long. At the end, government ‘gave in’ and the Padanggalak Project was cancelled.
Selasih Tourism-Golf Project, November 1997 also provoked the outrage of Selasih community, Payangan sub district, Gianyar. An issue spread that the biggest golf course in Asia would be built here so hundreds of highly productive land belongs to local community would be released. Unfortunately, up to current seconds it remains unclear.
Serangan Turtle-based Tourism Project (South Denpasar), April 1998, sparked off people’s bitter criticism of environmentalist, figure of customary village, religious figure and cultural observer in Bali. This project stays open to question as well.
In the midst of such socio-cultural conflict, emerges innumerable demonstrations in the vicinity of internal hotel community and people’s opposition by putting the name of customary village and put forward various demands and guarantees. Demonstration in the vicinity of internal hotel usually loaded with demand of salary increase, while that of outside hotel in many cases contains demand of greater contribution or pleading for assurance in order that its villagers are employed at hotel. When such demands are realized late—moreover if it was ignored—so violence comes out: some may blockade the access road to hotel, call out very loudly to hotel or on the occasion of holding temple festival, loudspeaker is deliberately directed to hotel. These all obviously have an effect on tourism. (BTN/B. Ashrama)