Bingin Beach Community Meet Bali Leaders To Discuss Future Of Beloved Tourist Hangout 

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The community of Bingin Beach has met with the Regent of Badung, Wayan Adi Arnawa, and the Head of Pecatu Village to discuss the future of the surf haven.

The meeting comes days after more than 500 civil service police officers, government officials, including Governor Wayan Koster, and construction teams started demolishing more than 45 buildings on the beachfront. 

Following an investigation ordered by the Badung Regency Government and Bali Provincial Government, the Satpol PP (Bali Civil Service Police) concluded that 48 buildings in Uluwatu’s Bingin Beach were constructed while violating a range of spatial planning laws and encroaching on state-owned land.

Despite many of these buildings being in place for more than 20 years, officials took a zero-tolerance approach and ordered business and premises owners to demolish their buildings or face the consequences. 

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Despite legal appeal and protest, the community of Bingin Beach was met by a team of over 500 civil police officers, construction workers, and government officials on 21st July, who promptly began demolition by hand. Viral video footage shows Governor Wayan Koster hacking at the door of one restaurant with a mallet, while other footage from the scene showed local staff in tears, screaming at officials to stop the raid. 

On Monday, 11th August 2025, the Regent of Badung, Wayan Adi Arnawa, and the Head of Pecatu Traditional Village, Made Sumerta, met with the community of Bingin Beach to discuss the future of the beloved tourism hangout, even as demolition and excavation work continue. 

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Sumerta, who oversees Pecatu Village, which includes all of the Uluwatu tourism resort area, told reporters, “This is the third meeting. First at my house, secondly at my house after the demolition, and today we met directly with the Regent before the plenary session at the Badung DPRD. We would like to directly convey the anxiety of the residents affected by the demolition.”

Sumerta told reporters that he stands by the decision and was grateful to those who had accepted that the decision was backed by law.

He noted, “In our discussion, I conveyed what argument is used to sue the government? This is clearly an asset of the Badung Regency Government. So let’s obey the rules and find a way out together.”

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He told reporters that those impacted by the demolition orders still have options, provided they follow the correct legal routes.

He shared that his teams have been clear that residents who previously made a living on the premises newly demolished would still be given business space in accordance with the rules. Sumerta emphasized the importance of community involvement in the process of arranging and managing the beach in the future.

Sumerta told reporters, “If there is a way out, such as organizing and also making a business place that allows them to make a living in the existing rule corridor. Maybe later they will cooperate or something, hopefully they (the affected Pecatu citizens) will be accommodated.”

Sumerta added, “We also convey that residents are ready to help clean up the remains of the dismantled building. Every month we do gotong royong, one of which we will direct there, so that there is no impression of the people against the government. That is our commitment, Pecatu citizens.”

Gotong royong is an Indonesian term that refers to community volunteer work. 

Sumerta spoke out in calls for compensation for those businesses affected by the demolition orders. He explained that in the eyes of the law, there is no legal requirement to provide such compensation, since the business and premises owners are in the wrong. 

He concluded, “My proposal for future management, first in general, is from the traditional village because we have a coastline that is also long and quite wide.”

“Hopefully, this can give positive value and contribution to the local government and also traditional villages through their manners. We hope there is cooperation.”