Comment: Market on the move

Paper Edition | Page: 8

Aug. 9, p. 21

“This is a one-time offer, Rp 250,000 [US$26.50], not one rupiah more,” yells a foreign tourist to an Ubud market stall holder. The visitor wants to pick up a wooden Buddha statue at well below the asking price. He storms off, leaving the stall holder waving cheaper versions of the statue futilely in the air.

Your comments:

Thank you, for sharing with us the plight of the traders, who have been treated so inhumanely. This news is appalling, indeed.

Who was actually responsible for the very bad idea to move more than 500 Block A traders to the new market space in Singakerta? Are these greedy and heartless Balinese officials or greedy and heartless officials from the Central Government in Jakarta, or a combination of both?

It is certain that they are reaping an enormous amount of bad karma by causing so much distress and suffering to such a large number of people.
If we, tourists, go shopping in Bali, we will of course prefer to visit the Balinese traditional markets.

Tami