Schapelle Corby dances in church in Bali

Schapelle Corby

Schapelle Corby joins in a Christmas Day service in her Bali jail . Picture: Bintoro Lukman S Source: Herald Sun

LOOKING more relaxed and happy than she has for a long time, Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby attended a Christmas church service and celebration inside her Bali jail and said her Christmas wish was for Santa Claus to be alive.

Spending her seventh Christmas behind bars, the 33-year-old sang, danced and prayed during the Christmas Eve service conducted by the jail's governor Siswanto, who is also a Christian pastor.

She appeared more relaxed and, in contrast to her normal fear of cameras, appeared less concerned by having her photograph taken.

Suggestions that Corby could be freed for Christmas were denied by Indonesian authorities. She is almost certain, however, to be granted a cut of one month and 15 days to her sentence as part of the annual Christmas prison remissions.

She was originally jailed for 20 years.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/schapelle-corby-dances-in-church-in-bali/story-e6frf7l6-1225976220923

Australian footy star who 'lived life to the full' dies in Bali scooter smash

Aja Styles
December 10, 2010

Friends have poured out their grief online after Mitch Gillam was killed in a Bali scooter smash.

Friends have poured out their grief online after Mitch Gillam was killed in a Bali scooter smash.

A 20-year-old West Australian man who died after a suspected scooter accident in Bali yesterday has been remembered as a "little legend" by his mourning family.

Mitch Gillam and a friend were apparently involved in a motorcycle crash while on a group trip with mates from Perth and Kalgoorlie, in WA's Goldfields.

* Do you know more? Email us with any information or photos

Mr Gillam's father, Ken, said his son lived life to the full.
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The Gillam family has described Mitch as a 'fun-loving' bloke who was loved by all.

"He's just got such a massive network of sport and school mates and everyone loved the bloke," he said. "He's a little legend."

Early reports suggest the other man was found unconscious with a broken leg and was treated in hospital. He had since been discharged but had little memory of the accident, Mr Gillam snr said.

Mitch Gillam had grown up in the South-West WA town of Kojonup and had gone to school at Aquinas College in Perth before moving to Kalgoorlie to take on an electrical apprentiship at one of the mines.
Mitch Gillam (centre) relaxes with friends in a photo from his Myspace page.

Mitch Gillam (centre) relaxes with friends in a photo from his Myspace page.

"He really loved his family and his friends. We were everything to him and he was everything to us," his aunt Cyndy Gillam said.

"He could do tricks with golf balls, ride wheelchairs down stairs. He was just fun-loving."

Mr Gillam's older sister Tarli, 23, is enlisted in the army and has previously been deployed on a tour of duty to Iraq. She is currently stationed in Darwin, but was flying back to Perth today to be with her family.

"Her parents have been night after night sick with worry about how she's going to get through this, and he goes only on a holiday to Bali with a few friends and you know...," Mrs Gillam said.

"It's just heartbreaking for the family to have to go through this."

Mitch Gillam was a prominent footballer at Railways Football Club in Kalgoorlie, and was also a well-known cricketer in the mining town.

Railways president Garry Giles said Mr Gillam was a bright young midfielder who won runner-up in the fairest and best awards during the 2010 season after joining the club last year.

Kalgoorlie Mines Rovers Football Club President Peter Hunter said he had hoped to recruit him from they opposition side, and described him as a "really nice bloke".

Aquinas College Dean of Development Peter Robertson said he was a wonderful young man.

"Mitch was one of those kids around the school that you couldn't help but know," Mr Robertson said.

"He was terrific, friendly guy and he made the most of every opportunity at school - he won a number of academic awards, took part in service group programs and through sport, which was one of Mitch's great passions."

Tributes flow on Facebook

Mr Gillam's friends and teammates immediately hit Facebook to pay tribute to the young man, with words of sadness and support for the family flowing online.

Emily Thompson posted this morning "Mitch ill love you forever, they better have TABs up there for you."

Friend Brett Glaskin’s status updates on the social networking site expressed his disbelief at Mitch's death: "so shattered... such a tragedy to happen to a mate like you Mitch ... I know you will ravage up there mate .. see you again one day mate ill never forget you xx."

Another post read: "Gillam ... So many great memories ,, I can't think of a better bloke than you .... I can't believe that a guy with such a big heart has been taken from us ... Thanks for making everything so hilarious, you were one of a kind mate .. Gonna miss you so much xx".

The last status update that Mitch Gillam posted on his page on November 24 said simply "7 sleeps" – an indication of his excitement at the upcoming Bali trip.

The sadness was echoed in the words of other posters. Kylie Nunweek wrote: "My thoughts go out to the friends and family of Mitch Gillam. Such a tragic accident on what should have been a great adventure."

Adam Henley wrote: "Wishing the gillam family, friends and all the boys the very best. See you soon enough mate. Rip mitch"

And Sharne Christie added: "Mitch gillam you were a great person and everyone loved you rip xxxx"

The Department of Foreign Affairs has revealed very little about the accident, saying the circumstances of the man's death were unclear and "will be a matter for local authorities to determine".

"Consular officials from the Australian Consulate-General in Bali are providing consular assistance to the man's friends in Bali," a DFAT spokesperson said.

The Department was assisting the man's family in Australia.

- with Lucy Rickard

Bali Police Shut Down Insurance Firm Over Scam Claim

Editor Note: When will people learn. If it looks 5to good to be true it probably is and in Bali after 14 years I have learned "Assume nothing and trust no one unless they have excellent references"


Made Arya Kencana | November 29, 2010

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pakGuru
7:06am Nov 30, 2010

the company name 'Balicon' should've been a warning sign. LOL

Denpasar. Police in Bali have shut down an insurance company that allegedly defrauded around 21,000 clients to the tune of Rp 340 billion ($38 million), a spokesman said.

Sr. Comr. Gede Sugianyar Dwi Putra, a spokesman for the Bali Police, said on Monday that Made Paris Adnyana, the president commissioner of Bali Consultant Life Insurance (Balicon), had been named a suspect in the case.

Sugianyar said the accused would be charged with violating Article 21 and Article 9 of the 1992 Insurance Law. He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

At the behest of the Capital Market and Financial Institution Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK), the police launched an investigation into the company and found it was operating without a business permit from the Finance Ministry.

Sugianyar said the insurance firm was nevertheless able to set up shop by approaching influential figures and asking them to invest in the company.

The spokesman said the company was selling four insurance products, including education policies, that promised 5 percent monthly interest.

As of September, Balicon reportedly had 21,000 clients in Bali and East Java.

Authorities said the company had its headquarters in Jembrana, on the southwest coast of Bali and just a short ferryboat ride away from East Java.

They said the company had also set up offices in Surabaya, the East Java capital, and Jombang, also in the province.

“Now Balicon owes Rp 340 billion that has to be paid back to its clients,” Sugianyar said.

The closure of the company caused panic among clients who rushed to Balicon branches to demand information about their investments.

“It has been three months since we last had our interest paid. Before that it was smooth,” said one client, Ketut Satria, who invested Rp 200 million.

Bali Police sweep southern waters for terrorists

Wed, Oct 06, 2010
The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network


Bali Police are patrolling the province's southern waters and tightening security at Gilimanuk harbour and Ngurah Rai airport to prevent terror attacks.

"We are trying to halt any potential criminals from entering the province via the water," Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko said after the sweep on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

As Indonesia's favourite tourist destination, Bali typically sees an increase in visitors during the end-of-year holiday season.

Click here to find out more!Click here to find out more!
"October, November and December will be our busiest months. We will deploy all police officers to Kuta," said Hadiatmoko, referring to the province's famous beach.

Terrorists have twice launched fatal bomb attacks in Bali in the month of October, both in 2002 and 2005.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20101006-240876.html

Mentally Unwell Man Wounds Eight During Rampage with Samurai Sword in Bali Made Arya Kencana | August 20, 2010

Bali. A man armed with a Samurai sword went on a rampage on the resort Island of Bali on Thursday night, wounding seven locals and a domestic tourist, a survivor and Bali Police said on Friday.

The victims, including the tourist from Yogyakarta, suffered injuries to their heads, necks, backs and arms and have been hospitalized in the Sanglah General Hospital.

Rawiyah, one of the survivors, told the Jakarta Globe from her hospital bed that she and her family had gathered in front of their shop near the Kuta Puri Hotel on Jalan Pantai Kuta when she was allegedly attacked by Putu Eka, the son of the hotel owner.

She said she attempted to run into the back of her store but she was chased and suffered slash wounds to her back.

“It happened very fast. He (Putu Eka) suddenly attacked many people,” Rawiyah said.

Kuta Police Chief Adj. Comr. Wimboko told the Globe that Putu Eka was eventually restrained and beaten by locals before he was handed over to Kuta Police.

“We have given explanation to locals and tourists about what happened so they won’t get worried,” Wimboko said.

The police took Putu to Bangli Mental Hospital because he was “uncontrollable.” Wimboko Edo was possibly suffering from depression.

“The allegation is supported by the family’s statement,” he said.

Putu Eka’s family apologized to the victims’ families and promised to cover the victims’ hospital bills.

“Putu Eka has been suffering from psychological problems but he had never endangered other people’s lives. We, his family, apologize to the families of the victims and the locals,” said Ngurah Gede, the family representatives.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/mentally-unwell-man-wounds-eight-during-rampage-with-samurai-sword-in-bali/391981

Bali Taxi Wars Turn Ugly, Drivers Attack Blue Bird

Made Arya Kencana


Denpasar. The rivalry between a leading taxi operator and a local taxi association on Bali turned ugly on Monday, with hundreds of drivers attacking and vandalizing 14 Blue Bird taxis.

The mob, drivers from the Bali Tourism Service Association (PJWB), went on a violent rampage in Denpasar, damaging vehicles belonging to the Blue Bird taxi company.

“Nine cars were damaged at our office, two in Kuta and three in Sanur,” said Teguh Wijayanto, a spokesman for Praja Bali Transportation, which operates Blue Bird taxis in Bali.

The PJWB accuses the company of exceeding the agreed quota of taxis and of unfairly entering the Bali market.

The angry mob also attacked two television journalists and damaged their camera and vandalized the front of the provincial legislative council office.

One of the injured reporters, Riadis Sulhi, who works for broadcaster Indosiar, filed a report with the Denpasar police.

Blue Bird is known for its high service standards and security. Many passengers opt to use it because of its reputation for reliability, and because customers are urged to report any problems to the company.

The local associations, in contrast, are sometimes accused of unfair pricing and coercion. Local taxis are often more expensive than Blue Bird.

After the street rampage, the mob took the protest to the governor’s office, where they vandalized trees, before moving to the legislative council building.

Hundreds of police were deployed in front of the governor’s office. They used water cannon to disperse the mob.

PJWB chairman Gusti Made Oka Sukranita said that the company had agreed to limit its taxis to 600 “but now the Blue Bird fleet numbers 750.”

Sukranita also said Blue Bird had unfairly entered the market by using Praja Bali Transport and the trade name Bali Taksi, although its emblem and the color of its fleets were those of Blue Bird.

Made Arjaya, of the provincial legislative council, and the head of the Bali Transportation office, Made Santha, met the protesters to discuss the grievances. .

“The agreement is for a team to immediately work to put order into issuing taxi permits,” Santha said after the meeting. But the protesters still threatened to attack the headquarters of Praja Bali Transport in Denpasar.

Meanwhile, the vice president of the Blue Bird Group, Noni Purnomo, said Bali Taksi had a permit issued by the Bali governor in 1994. She also said the Bali Taksi name and logo, which she agreed was similar to the Blue Bird emblem, had been registered in March 2008.

The Bali chapters of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Indonesian Television Journalists’ Association in Bali condemned the violence.

“We urge the association to apologize and pay compensation for the damage,” Rofiqi Hasan of AJI said.

Toxic brew kills at least eight in Bali

May 26, 2010 - 3:44PM


SUTD Singapore

Scholarships are available World Class Curriculum

Sutd.edu.sg

AAP

Australians in Bali should avoid drinking palm and rice wine after a toxic home brew killed at least eight locals.

Sanglah Hospital spokesman Putra Wibawa said the first victim died after drinking the traditional liquor, known as arak, in Kuta on May 16.

"Eight have died and five are still under treatment," Wibawa told AAP.

Director in hot water Police in Bali preparing immigration, work permit violation charges against him

Director in hot water
Police in Bali preparing immigration, work permit violation charges against him



The boys featured have denied their portrayed roles in the film, Cowboys In Paradise, which has raised a ruckus of sorts on the popular resort island. -- TNP PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHD YUSOF


DENPASAR - BALI'S police are preparing charges of immigration and work permit violations against a Singapore-based film director over a movie that portrays beach boys on the island as gigolos.
The boys featured have denied their portrayed roles in the film, Cowboys In Paradise, which has raised a ruckus of sorts on the popular resort island.
Mr Armit Virmani, the Jakarta Globe reported Bali police spokesman Gede Sugianyar Dwi Putra as saying, did not have the official shooting permits.
The film-maker had also come to Bali on a tourist visa, and was not supposed to have done anything apart from vacationing, he added.
'But he made a film and thereby he clearly violated the immigration law,' he was quoted by Antara as saying.
If charged, the film-maker could face up to one year in jail and fines of up to 40 million rupiah (S$6,000) for violating Indonesia's laws.
Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_520922.html

Bali's beach boys detained They are accused of selling sex to female tourists

05:55 AM Apr 28, 2010


DENPASAR - Indonesia has detained 28 "beach boys" accused of selling sex to female tourists on Bali after a documentary titled Cowboys in Paradise on the island's "gigolos" went viral on the Internet.

Singapore-based writer and director Amit Virmani - who has received hate mail and death threats following the release of the film last week - told The Jakarta Globe that he never expected the documentary to create so much controversy.

Tourism officials were fretting over the impact of the film on Bali's image as a family destination after segments of the film appeared on YouTube. The film contains candid interviews with "beach boys", who speak about their escapades with foreign women, including their stock pick-up lines in a number of foreign languages.

Mr Virmani said he decided to make the film after meeting a 12-year-old boy in Bali who confessed an eagerness "to grow up and be of sexual service to Japanese women", the Globe reported.

Bali Tourism Board chief Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya said that the "cowboys" had been fixtures on Bali's tourist beaches for some time but had not attracted much attention until now.

"The film is over the top and only focuses on this group of people on the beach, but that's not what Bali is about. If the film is shown to the world, Bali's image will be tarnished," he said.

The chief of security on Bali's main Kuta beach said they had rounded up 28 men suspected to be gigolos.

"They're young, fit-looking and tanned, mostly surfer beach boys," said Mr I Gusti Ngurah Tresna.

"If we have good reason to suspect they may be involved in shady activities, we'll hand them over to the police," he said. But he admitted it would be hard to prove they were selling sex.

"They will approach foreign female tourists, especially Japanese, on the beach, befriend them and the women will pay for their company and food during their stay here. Sex may be involved," Mr Tresna.

"It's like prostitution which is hard to prove because the foreign women may be willing partners too." AGENCIES

http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC100428-0000089/Balis-beach-boys-detained

Bali Authorities Take Dim View of Film Featuring Island’s ‘Cowboy’ Gigolos

Bali Tourism Board chief Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya said on Monday that “Cowboy’s Paradise,” a documentary focusing on Kuta Cowboys, or gigolos, had nothing to do with Bali’s reputation as the most sought-after tourism destination in the world.

“That documentary, I believe, was over the top. It in no way represents what Bali is truly about, which is a world-class cultural destination,” Ida Bagus said.

Bali’s chief of public relations, Putu Suardika, agreed: “I reject that documentary. It has nothing to do with what Balinese beauty and our culture is about.”

Singapore-based writer and director Amit Virmani told Twitchfilm.net that he had the idea for “Cowboy’s Paradise” after meeting a 12-year-old boy in Bali who confessed an eagerness “to grow up and be of sexual service to Japanese women.”

“Actually, I’d known about the cowboys and similar phenomena elsewhere long before that. But they were just fun facts to me. Women traveling for sex? Guys making money off it? Big deal. Happy for all, but not enough to make a film about it,” Virmani said in the interview. “Then I met this kid in Bali, all of 12 and eager to grow up and be of sexual service to Japanese women. Now there was a story.”

As news of the documentary spread across Web sites nationwide, the chief of Kuta Beach security operations, I Gusti Ngurah Tresna, said his officers had questioned 28 men with muscular bodies on the beach.

“They were working as [vendors]. We questioned them because they had no ID. They were mostly dark-skinned and had great bodies,” Tresna said. “This raid was no joke. We do take such allegations seriously and we do not legalize such activities.”

The movie trailer on Virmani’s Web site — which has been viewed almost 20,000 times since it was posted in December — profiles a number of tanned, muscular local surfer boys who speak candidly about their escapades with foreign women, including their stock pick-up lines in a number of foreign languages.

“Hi girls. I think I know you from last night. What are you doing tonight? If you don’t have any plans you can come with me tonight. I love you,” an unidentified male cowboy tells the camera.

Virmani says thousands of women travel to Bali each year in search of paradise, “and many find it in the arms of Kuta Cowboys. Masters at peddling holiday romances, these bronzed beach ambassadors have made Bali one of the world’s leading destinations for female sex tourists.”

The movie argues that the cowboys are not gigolos because they do not charge for sex.

“The film reveals some of the island’s most closely guarded secrets. Why don’t the boys charge for sex? How then do women compensate them? Where do time-management skills fit into all this? And how does a cowboy’s family feel about his errant ways?” Virmani asked.

The movie, completed in 2009 after two years in production, premiered at the DMZ Documentary Film Festival in South Korea last Wednesday.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/bali-authorities-take-dim-view-of-film-featuring-islands-cowboy-gigolos/371671