Jakarta, IO – Ukrainian Ambassador to Indonesia Vasyl Hamianin expressed his disappointment at the suggestion from Bali Governor I Wayan Koster to revoke the Visa on Arrival (VoA) for its citizens.
“The statement made by the Governor of Bali, the Honorable Mr. I Wayan Koster, made me feel very disappointed,” said Vasyl, reported CNN Indonesia, Wednesday (15/3).
Vasyl further said he did not expect to hear such suggestion, which in his view was baseless, from someone he considered to be rational. He emphasized that the Ukrainian citizens had absolutely nothing to do with the Russian citizens who often caused problems in Bali.
Vasyl believes that the reason given by Koster, who is concerned about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, cannot be used as a justification. He said Ukrainian citizens came to Bali and several parts of Indonesia mostly because they wanted to seek safety from the ongoing war.
“So I think this really offends me as a Ukrainian. Equating Russians and Ukrainians and blaming them (for the problems) is not right. I think this is very hurtful,” he said.
Vasyl said that, unlike the Russians, not many Ukrainians were involved in crime in Indonesia. He revealed that there have only been eight Ukrainians deported since 2019 and only five were jailed.
Read: Bali governor to take stern actions against traffic violations by foreigners
“And they didn’t commit major crimes. Just financial crimes and other things, not serious ones like murder,” he explained.
Previously, Koster recommended that the central government revoke VoA facility for Russian and Ukrainian citizens wishing to visit Bali due to numerous reports about violations committed by tourists from both countries. (un)