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