Lines Harden in Bali’s Elephant War. Bali Legislators Fall in Behind Governor in Refusal of New Elephants Imports to Bali.

In a continuing saga, support for the Governor’s refusal to allow more elephants on Bali has come from members of Commission I of the Provincial House of Representatives (DPRD) who are preparing to issue a formal recommendation refusing the additional elephants, urging, at the same time, that the Governor also put his rejection of the plan in writing.

As reported in Radar Bali, representatives of the Indonesian Nature Conservancy Agency (BKSDA) were called to the Bali legislature this past week to explain their approval of the plan to allow more elephants onto the island. Istanto, who heads the BKSDA in Bali, failed to show, disappointing Commission members who were hoping to grill him regarding his support of the unpopular plan to increase the elephant population. The Chairman of Commission I of the DPRD, Made Arjaya, said, “actually, we were hoping he’d come, inasmuch as the BKSDA has been a main actor in the matter of the elephants.”

Another member of the Commission from the House, Cok Budi Suryawan, also said he was deeply disappointed by Istanto’s non-appearance: “The BKSDA should have been here, even if its Chief couldn’t attend. He could have been represented; it is not as though only one person works at the Bali BKSDA office.” Continue reading →