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Washington (Metrobali.com)-

We, representatives of the Indonesian community of Washington, D.C., along with U.S. supporters of environmental justice, call upon the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Joko Widodo, to revoke Presidential Decree No. 51/2014. We view this Decree, issued at the end of the term of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as benefitting corporate interests at the expense of the social, economic, cultural, and environmental sustainability of Bali. This Presidential Decree opens the road to the destruction of the Benoa Bay, an area of Bali with great potential economic value. We believe the Decree allowing development to proceed in Benoa Bay was issued in the absence of transparent democratic processes in order to profit investors through control over this vital resource.

We question the motives behind the revocation of Presidential Decree No. 45/2011, which protected the Benoa Bay as a Marine Conservation Area. The revocation of this decree promises to bring environmental and cultural destruction to Bali, benefitting an economic and political elite at the expense of Bali’s citizens. Despite its “greenwashing” as a project to “revitalize” the bay, respected scientific experts have warned of severe damage to the island’s ecosystem, in addition to economic, social and cultural harms. “Revitalization” means to bring something that is dying back to life. Those who would fill in the Benoa Bay to create an elite playground seem to view the delicate ecosystem of Bali as something that has already died. We reject this notion unequivocally, and call upon you to protect this priceless marine area, and all those who depend upon it, from corporate greed.

Extreme environmental damage will be caused by the development of Benoa Bay. Filling in the bay will not only destroy mangroves, sea grasses and coral, disturbing the island’s threatened ecosystem and removing a natural barrier against tsunamis, it will lead to the flooding of nearby coastal communities and a rise in sea levels, exacerbating the risk these communities already face from climate change. A study conducted by Conservation International states that “the reclamation of the Benoa Bay will immediately decrease the area’s ability to cope with flooding.” This study also states that “the backflow of water out of the bay, combined with the decrease in its absorption capacity, will impact the entire catchment area, leading to low-lying areas being inundated by rising seas and erosion.” The modeling conducted in this study shows that the regions at greatest risk nclude Sanur Kauh, Suwung Kangin, Pesanggaran, Pemogan, Simpang Dewa Ruci, and the Ngurah Rai International Airport. Reclamation will also decrease the salinity of the water in the Benoa Bay region, with a detrimental effect on the local ecosystem.

In addition to this grave environmental damage, the Benoa Bay project will have significant political impact, destroying citizens’ trust in their government and leading to increased destructive conflict. Even now, before the project has begun, we see attempts to pit communities against each other and to intimidate those who speak out against reclamation. The hijacking of social and environmental decision-making by corporate interests is a stain on Indonesia’s reputation as a democracy, and erodes the confidence of Balinese in their elected officials’ accountability and freedom from corruption. We also call upon President Ir. Joko Widodo to remember his promise to return Indonesia to its status as a maritime nation. “The ocean, seas, straits and bays are the future of our civilization. We have for too long ignored our oceans, ignored our seas, ignored our straits and bays”: this is the message our President delivered to us. We remind him that a maritime people does not destroy their bays and threaten the life of their seas.

We invite friends of the environment, those who support justice for all living things, and those who stand against violence, intimidation, greed and authoritarianism, to join us in calling for a repeal of Presidential Decree 51/2014. Stand against the reclamation of the Benoa Bay, for the well-being of our children and grandchildren and the survival of our earth and seas. RED-MB 

Washington, D.C. Against the Reclamation of the Benoa Bay

www.forbali.org