Security Tightens Ahead of Climate Change Summit in Bali
By Kenneth Conboy
Indonesian security officials have started pouring in assets to Bali to secure that resort island ahead of a major climate change summit set to begin on 3 December. In addition to naval vessels, some thirty-five police patrol boats will begin patrolling Balinese waters in late November.
The police are being especially vigilant at points of entry to the island, and have already announced three arrests of suspicious persons. On 24 October, a person was detained at Hotel Deep Blue in Karangasem. The reason: he was alone, had a Muslim-type goatee (unusual in predominently Hindu Bali), and was found to possess a fake ID card.
On 26 October, a person claiming to be from Cimahi, West Java, was questioned in Labasara village, Karangasem. He, too, had a goatee and held fake ID.
During the first week of November, a person with a Javanese accent but no identification was stopped for questioning in Karangasem. The police have yet to announce further details of this third arrest.
More detainments can no doubt be expected during the final run-up to the Summit. Ironically, Indonesian authorities believe that the major threat to the event will not come from religious extremists, but rather from radical environmental activists..