In Search of a Good Night's Sleep

(9/12/2007)

Following recent protests from Seminyak residents regarding bar and restaurants disturbing the peace with loud music until the early hours, North Kuta residents in the vicinity of the Petitenget Temple are lodging similar protests with authorities against three popular nightspots identified in the Indonesian Bali Post only by their initials: Bar HU, Bar DD and Bar LR

Speaking to the local press, the sub-district chief for North Kuta, Drs. A.A. Rai Yudha Dharma, confirmed he had received the noise complaints and had issued summons to the operators of the three night spots to answer questions from his office.

Following a personal inspection of the area, Dharma confirmed that music from the business was penetrating as far as the nearby sacred Petitenget Temple.This fact also confirmed by local community order officers who said loud music from the three night spots was a long-standing problem in the area.

According to the Bali Post, local residents have repeatedly protested the noise emanating from the restaurants hosting late-night music parties only to see the number of such establishments increase in recent months. Guests and residents in the numerous villas now found in the Petitenget area have also joined the chorus of protest against the loss of late-night peace and quiet.

Made Sukadana, a local community leader who headed recent public protests against noise-polluting bars in Seminyak, acknowledged the role music plays in tourism but cautioned that local environments should not be automatically sacrificed merely to satisfy business interests.