Outrage in Indonesia after Australia’s far-right senator Hanson says Bali ‘covered in cow dung’
- Jakarta and Bali officials have blasted the comment by Australian anti-immigration lawmaker Hanson, with an Australian non-profit calling her ‘dumb’
- Bali’s vice governor said he hoped Australian tourists would not be swayed by Hanson’s outlandish remarks as they could see the reality of life in Bali for themselves
“Bali is totally different to other countries because cattle roam the streets, cattle sh** on the ground, people walk in that sh**, that sh** then is brought back in their clothing and on their person and back into this country,” she said.
“There’s a hell of a difference with what happens in Bali, so close to us. Bali is one of the biggest tourist destinations for Australians. Yes, that does need to be looked at on the grounds of the damage it can do to this country.”
“I expressly and straightforwardly say never to insult Bali, the icon and heart of Indonesia’s tourism,” Sandiaga, former vice presidential contender in the 2019 presidential election, said on Twitter.
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“Bali has now rebounded and jobs have been created again. Don’t disturb our peace, let alone our economic recovery with false [claims].”
He also suggested that Hanson do a Google search, in response to her comment calling Bali a country.
Teuku Faizasyah, spokesperson for Indonesia’s foreign ministry, told reporters on Sunday that “it is no use to respond to close-minded Hanson”.
“The question now is, has she ever been to Bali? I suspect she lives in her own imaginary world,” Teuku said.
Angry Indonesians also flocked to Hanson’s Instagram account, whose post on her speech in the Senate had garnered over 35,000 comments as of Monday.
“Come to Bali and see it for yourself, how come you speak [about] something [that is not] based on reality?” commented Indonesian travel blogger Febrian.
Bali’s Vice-Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati said Hanson’s statements are “tendentious” as cows in Bali are kept in enclosures, not wandering on the streets.
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Discontent also stemmed from Australia, where Hanson’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and views against multiculturalism have long faced strident criticism.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about Pauline Hanson offending Indonesia over her ‘Cow sh** in the streets of Bali’ comments. They know politicians talk sh** regularly anyway. But for her to suggest Bali is a ‘country’ is really ignorant; dumb in fact,” Ross Taylor, founder of Perth-based Indonesia Institute, a non-profit that focuses on Indonesia-Australia bilateral relations, said on Twitter.
Potential disease outbreak
Australia stepped up border surveillance after the disease was found in Bali but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration has stopped short of giving in to demands by opposition voices to suspend travel to the resort island.
As of August 2, there were over 455,000 livestock infected by the disease in 23 Indonesian provinces, with 4,720 animals dead from the disease and over 7,500 slaughtered to prevent further outbreak, according to government data.
Nearly 900,000 livestock have been vaccinated since June, and the country has so far secured an additional three million FMD vaccine doses. Wiku Adisasmito, spokesperson for the Indonesian task force handling the outbreak, said that Jakarta aims to have the situation under control “by the end of this year”.
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“We would also reassure the international community that Indonesia is capable of controlling the outbreak,” he said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
