Bali Youth Alliance Rejects Radical Organizations

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Several members of the Dvipa Bali Youth Alliance staged a protest outside Bali Police Headquarters here on Monday to denounce the presence of radical organizations in the country.

"We strongly reject the presence of mass organizations (that have adopted a policy of) radical action against a series of international activities, including the hosting of the Miss World beauty pageant in Bali," Dvipa Bali Youth Alliance coordinator Ida Bagus Purana Pidada said here on Monday.

Pidada called on the people of Bali to help ensure order and security since the Indonesian resort island is now under the international spotlight due to the issues surrounding the Miss World contest.

Hardliners Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), and various other Islamic social organizations have protested against hosting the Miss World contest in Bali because they believe such events do not conform to the nation`s moral outlook and culture.

However, the Bali Youth Alliance coordinator insisted that efforts to host such international events should not be shaken.

"Do not hesitate to maintain order, and do not be influenced by the intervention of external parties (who wish) to interfere with international events being held in Bali," Pidada stated. (*/M038)