MANGUPURA – The former Sari Club site, located in front of the Ground Zero Monument in Kuta, has officially been acquired by the Badung Regency Government. The purchase, finalized on Thursday (Jan. 16), marks the beginning of preparations for a memorial museum commemorating the 2002 Bali bombing tragedy.
A joint team comprising personnel from Satpol PP, the Public Works and Housing Agency (PUPR), Kuta Sub-District, and the Kuta Village Office conducted a cleanup of the area on Thursday morning. The site is slated for transformation into a significant landmark honoring the victims and raising global awareness.
The cleanup began at 9:00 AM local time, with teams dismantling long-abandoned vendor stalls. Heavy machinery was deployed to level small structures remaining on the site.
Badung’s Civil Service Police Unit Chief, I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara, explained that the initiative followed the site’s official transfer to government ownership on January 1, 2025. “As of January 1, the land was designated as a government asset, and former occupants were informed to vacate immediately,” Suryanegara stated during the activity.
He added, “If left unattended, the area could become rundown and attract illegal activities. To prevent this, we will erect a permanent wall around the site.”
According to Bali Post, prior to the cleanup, the site was commonly used as a parking area and a space for vendor stalls. In line with the government’s plans, the area will be reorganized for better use. A government official also confirmed, “The cleanup was not an act of forced eviction but rather a necessary step in managing the property as a government asset.”
The planned Bali bombing memorial museum is set to become an iconic symbol for both the people of Bali and the global community. Funded by Badung Regency’s Regional Budget (APBD) at the end of 2024, the project will include a public display of the museum’s design plans as an initial step toward transparency and engagement.