Kuta's Facade

[kampucheer]

I’ve heard from friends over the last few days, the place I used to call home is becoming more violent toward westerners than ever before. As some of you probably know, the beachside community of Kuta Lombok (not Bali) offers wonderful surf, pristine beaches as well as superb fishing and the promise of a laid back lifestyle. From all appearances Kuta Lombok presents an image of languid, tropical island bliss. The reality is very different, especially if you live there.Scrape the flaking surface of its tropical façade aside, and Lombok will reveal to you an insidious perniciousness that is far nastier and pervasive than any other place I’ve lived in. I’m so very grateful to be out of the wretched place

Lombok has long been known for its petty crime, robbery and land scams. It seems there is something culturally innate in Lombokians that drives them toward violence, thievery and general deceitfulness. It was only a few years ago on the outskirts of Sengkol, fifteen kilomters from Kuta, that two apposing groups consisting of a combined three hundred villagers met in the rice paddies with sticks and stones to resolve an issue of name calling between two students at the local school.. The stealing of young women from their homes for the purpose of marriage is also still a practiced tradition. During my time there, my boat I used for business was vandalized several times and various parts stolen from it. I was also the victim to home invasion and burglary on more than a few occasions, the increasing frequency of which, and apparent lack of concern by the local police, prompting me to move on.

In the last two weeks a female westerner’s new bar was raised to the ground because her neighbors didn’t like her, a Czech guy who had just started a small café was beaten and a bottle smashed over his head and a young couple were robbed walking around one of the beaches - there seems no end in sight to the violence. Consider also, Kuta is not a city or regional centre with tens of thousands or millions of people where occasional instances such as these do occur. It is a seaside village with a population of ten thousand people at most I would guess. Ten thousand people producing the highest rate of crime and violence I have had the misfortune or displeasure of experiencing

I’m so very grateful to be out of the wretched place

That is all, carry on.

[RielLove]

Had angry mob form in minutes baying for our blood on Lombok when heading to the gillis... Chanting down with bush, you support Israel (we were not yanks but they didn't seem to care) and other cheery slogans.. It got to the rock throwing stage before we could get gone..

[kampucheer]

Sounds like you went from Bangsal, another cheery cesspool of Lombokian hate.

[vladimir]

It seems there is something culturally innate in Lombokians that drives them toward violence, thievery and general deceitfulness.

I think you'll adapt to life here very quickly.

[kinard]

It seems there is something culturally innate in Lombokians that drives them toward violence, thievery and general deceitfulness.

I don't think those traits are confined to people from Lombok and I'm sure it is not "culturally innate". Whilst there is a history of religious unrest between the

Christians and Moslems on Lombok, they both on this occasion blame outsiders with an ulterior agenda. In saying that, I did notice an underlying contempt for

foreigners when I was there 10 or so years back but nothing in your face. I mean, after all, they want your tourist dollar and seems non-sensical to drive the

dollars away. Maybe they are just fed up with us expecting so much for so little.

[cambod]

It seems there is something culturally innate in Lombokians that drives them toward violence, thievery and general deceitfulness.

I don't think those traits are confined to people from Lombok and I'm sure it is not "culturally innate". Whilst there is a history of religious unrest between the

Christians and Moslems on Lombok, they both on this occasion blame outsiders with an ulterior agenda. In saying that, I did notice an underlying contempt for

foreigners when I was there 10 or so years back but nothing in your face. I mean, after all, they want your tourist dollar and seems non-sensical to drive the

dollars away. Maybe they are just fed up with us expecting so much for so little.

What is up with your keyboard?

[kinard]

The keyboard is innocent. Double-space a bit testing?

[kampucheer]

Wickedness is certainly not exclusive to those of Lombok alone, but in my experience there is a much higher propensity for this type of behavior on the island than any other place I have visited, in Indonesia or otherwise. Obviously it is not in the community's interest to dissuade visitors from coming to Lombok as they rely on the tourism dollar far more than any other income source, but it is this biting the hand that feeds you that makes me think that theft, particularly, is so ingrained in their culture, that it over rides any long term economical common sense.

Theft is also perpetrated against their own also. An example.

Across the road from the new Kuta airport lies, or did, a small group of houses, this village understood to be one of thieves. Shortly after the new runway was completed an inspection was made to ensure all was in order. Everything was fine except for the hundreds of missing landing lights that had been unscrewed from their receptacles and taken. The village of thieves were responsible.

PS Can anyone tell me why my login is timing out within only a couple of minutes each time?

[vladimir]

The Lombokians have stolen your settings?

[kampucheer]

Their manipulating thieving fingers seemingly attached to the ends of very long arms. Fuckers!!

[kinard]

Their manipulating thieving fingers seemingly attached to the ends of very long arms. Fuckers!!

Man, they are on your case. The timing - out every few minutes seems a bit odd..tick the box that says 'keep me logged in after each session' when you sign in could sort it.
I hear what you are saying re Lombok and good you've called it a day there.

[ken svay]

Article in the weekend oz today about Aussies buying land overseas,Lombok was mentioned as a growing destination for land buyers.
They are yet to discover the local traditions apparently.

[Sorry]

Kampucheer, I wish you would make the same post on the Thorn Tree SE Asia form, or one of the Bali Forums that extend to Lombok.

A lot of the people who are active in those forums are quick to rebuff any criticism about Lombok for a variety of reasons. So the message fails to be told and heard. Your criticism is constructive and valid - and more foreigners seriously need to hear your comments to avoid the problems stated in your post.

[Vox Clamantis]

Interesting. I talked to a good friend who has lived in Kuta for some time. Smart chap who speaks the language. This is what he had to say...

"Regarding the forum you sent through there are definite truths to what is being said, that said I have never felt safer anywhere that I have lived. The problem is systemic within the way the country is governed de-centrally, not so much the people of Lombok (Sasak people). There are still pockets of the island that are arguably uncivilised, where disputes are settled traditionally amongst villagers, but this would never involve tourists, no occurrences that I have heard of anyway.
A major part of Lombok's charm is its rawness, with that comes the whole package.

I believe a key feature Lombok policy makers need to consider & adopt moving forward is a contemporary approach to dealing with petty crime & incident reporting. In the south the problem is that where as before village heads could control their people, their means of control are fast becoming redundant, police are low paid & corrupt providing a shady pocket for opportunists to operate within. Having said all this I know that the stories that come out of Bali are far more frightening than those coming out of Lombok."

Hope it's of interest.

[Sorry]

Typical response.. "I've never felt safer in my life"; yet the poster goes on to describe a multitude of problems. But, the usual tag line... "It's far worse in other places". Undoubtedly a business owner trying to keep the tourists coming to Kuta, Lombok.

By the way, an expat living there with local wife and young child was recently had his house attacked by a gang of robbers. When he tried to stop them he was assaulted with the knives. He had severe cuts on his arms and legs. He is still in the hospital. Very typical incident, but never reported by the local newspaper and the police never locate the robbers. The same type of incident happens frequently as you point out in your original post.