Ukrainian citizens who live in Bali or who happen to travel spontaneously gather to show off their sense of concern, solidarity and nationalism as citizens of a country currently experiencing a war. They came to remember the war having been going on for a year, and hope that peace will soon be realized.

“Today, at exactly 11:00 Bali time or 6 o’clock Ukrainian time, the first attack occurred in Ukraine. So, they came to show off their concern,” said the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Bali, I Nyoman Astama, on Friday (Feb 25).

One by one of the Ukrainian citizens who attended the event laid down flowers under the photos of buildings and residents as the aftermath of the war. There were also those who lighted candles in the hope that the war will end, and the world will become peaceful. Prior to that, the Ukrainian citizens also carried out processions as an attitude of tolerance towards citizens in their country. “This moment is used to be even better in the future to uphold peace. Peace must be pursued by yourself, starting from yourself, then creating peace for others and more broadly,” said Astama.

On that occasion, Astama also reminded again to comply with the rules in Bali. That’s because it is really different to live overseas than in their own country. While living in Bali, Indonesia, they must follow the rules and ensure with a legal residence permit. “Some of Ukrainian residents in Bali have been living for a long time, some are new. Prior to the pandemic, there were 5,784 Ukrainian citizens living in Bali, and currently or based on data two days ago, they reached 7,908 people, resulting in an increase of around 36 percent. It is based on the data from the Bali Law and Human Rights Office,” he added.

Most Ukrainian citizens in Bali are female. Some came to visit their families and to meet their families while some others actually went on vacation after the pandemic, so they could not return to their home country. After the border was opened, it turned out that a war exploded, so the airport was closed and several houses were destroyed. As consequence, they live in Bali. “They are very sad, and hope the war will come to an end, and the peace will soon come true,” concluded Astama. (BTN/bud)