Trisha Sertori, Contributor, Gianyar, Bali
Minister of Tourism and Culture Jero Wacik opened the fourth annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) at the Ubud Palace on Tuesday night.
Wacik said the festival was aimed at bridging different cultures around the world to create harmony.
""Delegates from 18 countries have come here, smiling and showing love. This is harmony,"" said Minister Wacik in his opening address.
He said Bali, especially Ubud, had long been home to international writers and painters, who had brought their different cultures to the island.
""Bali went international in 1931 when a writer introduced Ubud and Bali to the world. Then many more writers came to Indonesia. Writers, like painters, have played an important role. Antonio Blanco and Arie Smit made Bali famous the world over,"" Wacik said.
The festival was founded in 2003 by Janet De Neefe. This year, she took a step back from her managerial role on the grounds the festival was already mature.
""As the festival has matured, so have I. I have come to understand more about what our role is and our identity. I feel the festival has a role to play in Bali and addresses significant issues affecting Bali, Indonesia and the world.
""The central factor is to showcase Indonesian writers and give them a place on the world stage,"" said De Neefe on the sidelines of the opening event.
Security was tight, with anti-terror squad reinforcements, a local pecalang, or community policing organization, and regular police officers.
Bali Tourism Board (BTB) chairman Ngurah Wijaya said the international festival was among the most important events on the Bali international event calender.
He said tourist had began to stream back to Bali, with daily arrivals of between 6,000 and 7,000 people. ""Some have come especially for the festival.""
Tourism in Bali was shattered by the 2002 terrorist bombing, which killed 202 people; mostly foreign holidaymakers. Another blow came in 2005 when a string of bombs claimed another 20 lives.
