Indonesia is considering a national ban on the production, consumption and distribution of alcohol. The news came as a surprise to international media, which led to some interesting headlines.
While Indonesia has legally banned alcohol in Papua and Surabaya, the country is now mulling over the possibility of nationally prohibiting drinks containing more than one percent alcohol.
The proposed law was introduced by two Islamic political parties, The United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). As stated in the draft, both parties wish to “protect citizens from the negative impacts of alcoholic beverages, to raise awareness of the dangers of the beverages, and to ensure order and peace in society, free from disturbances caused by consumers”.
But if approved, the ban might jeopardize the future of the country’s tourism industry. Speaking to The Jakarta Post last week, Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani expressed her concern for the proposed law:
“If the bill is passed, our business will be done. The tourists, who mostly come from Europe, drink alcohol all the time. It will be very inconvenient for them if they can’t find alcohol.”
The news of the bill has caused quite a stir among the international media.
UK media The Daily Mail, for instance, reported the news with the headline: Time to Rethink that Bali Getaway? Indonesia’s Radical proposal to ban ALCOHOL could ruin the popular holiday island for tourists.
Similarly, Malaysia’s Malaysia Sun came up with: Indonesia’s radical proposal to ban alcohol could ruin the popular tourist hotspot.
While some reports have come from Asia and Europe, most of the media reports have originated from Australia, a nation that has been known to be a devoted tourist to Bali.
Perth Now broke the news with a rather direct approach to readers with The party could be over in Bali as Indonesia considers banning alcohol. The same goes for The West Australian with What, no Bintang? Fears over Bali booze ban. And The Queensland Times also made use of Indonesia’s most well-known alcohol brand in its headline No Bintangs? Bali could be hit by national booze ban.