Dear Cristiano Ronaldo,
Greetings from the Island of Bali, Indonesia.
We are a coalition of Balinese citizens, social and environmental groups that are concerned about the future of the Benoa Bay, Bali, Indonesia.We would like to share those concerns with you, as we know that you have a great concern for mangroves. We also appreciate the fact that you took time to plant mangroves in the Benoa Bay last year.
We are concerned about the future of the Benoa Bay, as the ecosystem which you visited is under threat by plans to reclaim the bay to create a new, artificial island. The plan is to develop the new island into a posh tourism area, which threaten the mangrove conservation area, which you helped to preserve.
The Benoa Bay, where you planted mangroves with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is a conservation area that has long been the target of a massive investor, PT Tirta Wahana Bali International.The new islands will be used to develop luxury tourist facilities such as hotels, villas apartments, and entertainment centers including a Disneyland-like theme park.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of Indonesia, has just signed Presidential Decree number 51/2014 on May 30th 2014. The most important point of the Decree is to change the zoning regulations of waters of Benoa Bay marine conservation area into general utilization zones and to allow a maximum of 700 hectares of waters to be reclaimed. This decree will allow the reclamation of Benoa Bay to move forward with their plans for this luxury resort.
Once an area is developed for tourism on a massive scale, and through unnatural land reclamation, the mangrove ecosystem will be endangered. It is indeed unfortunate that the mangroves which you helped to plant and create awareness about are now being threatened.
We are seeking your help to create awareness about these threats to Benoa Bay. As an international public figure, you drew attention to the importance of the mangrove ecosystem, especially as a buffer zone against disasters such as Tsunamis. Now, we are asking you again to draw attention to the mangroves in Benoa Bay, and ask that Benoa Bay remain protected as a marine conservation area.
It is our hope that you will join us in our community movement to save the Benoa Bay. Please write to the President of Indonesia (Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Jalan Veteran No. 17–18, Jakarta 10110, Indonesia) about your concerns, thus adding voice to the many voices that are requesting to stop the reclamation and irresponsible development of the Benoa Bay.
Here is what exactly happening in Benoa Bay:
Trouble Brewing in Paradise Over Fate Of Bali’s Benoa Bay
Presidential regulation on Benoa reclamation draws protests
A Call to Arms Against Perpres No 51/2014
And here is what we have been doing to save Benoa Bay and your mangrove trees:
Activists March on Bali Governor’s Office to Protest Reclamation of Benoa Bay
Bali protests staged over Presidential Decree on zoning
We will continue our fight to save Benoa Bay and your mangrove trees, and we hope you will share your voice for Bali’s mangrove ecosystem.
Thank you.
Dear Cristiano Ronaldo,
Greetings from the Island of Bali, Indonesia.
We are a coalition of Balinese citizens, social and environmental groups that are concerned about the future of the Benoa Bay, Bali, Indonesia.We would like to share those concerns with you, as we know that you have a great concern for mangroves. We also appreciate the fact that you took time to plant mangroves in the Benoa Bay last year.
We are concerned about the future of the Benoa Bay, as the ecosystem which you visited is under threat by plans to reclaim the bay to create a new, artificial island. The plan is to develop the new island into a posh tourism area, which threaten the mangrove conservation area, which you helped to preserve.
The Benoa Bay, where you planted mangroves with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is a conservation area that has long been the target of a massive investor, PT Tirta Wahana Bali International.The new islands will be used to develop luxury tourist facilities such as hotels, villas apartments, and entertainment centers including a Disneyland-like theme park.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of Indonesia, has just signed Presidential Decree number 51/2014 on May 30th 2014. The most important point of the Decree is to change the zoning regulations of waters of Benoa Bay marine conservation area into general utilization zones and to allow a maximum of 700 hectares of waters to be reclaimed. This decree will allow the reclamation of Benoa Bay to move forward with their plans for this luxury resort.
Once an area is developed for tourism on a massive scale, and through unnatural land reclamation, the mangrove ecosystem will be endangered. It is indeed unfortunate that the mangroves which you helped to plant and create awareness about are now being threatened.
We are seeking your help to create awareness about these threats to Benoa Bay. As an international public figure, you drew attention to the importance of the mangrove ecosystem, especially as a buffer zone against disasters such as Tsunamis. Now, we are asking you again to draw attention to the mangroves in Benoa Bay, and ask that Benoa Bay remain protected as a marine conservation area.
It is our hope that you will join us in our community movement to save the Benoa Bay. Please write to the President of Indonesia (Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Jalan Veteran No. 17–18, Jakarta 10110, Indonesia) about your concerns, thus adding voice to the many voices that are requesting to stop the reclamation and irresponsible development of the Benoa Bay.
Here is what exactly happening in Benoa Bay:
Trouble Brewing in Paradise Over Fate Of Bali’s Benoa Bay
Presidential regulation on Benoa reclamation draws protests
A Call to Arms Against Perpres No 51/2014
And here is what we have been doing to save Benoa Bay and your mangrove trees:
Activists March on Bali Governor’s Office to Protest Reclamation of Benoa Bay
Bali protests staged over Presidential Decree on zoning
We will continue our fight to save Benoa Bay and your mangrove trees, and we hope you will share your voice for Bali’s mangrove ecosystem.
Thank you.
