An inquiry is being conducted by the authorities in Bali regarding a foreign tourist who was recorded engaging in naked meditation at a Hindu shrine. This act has stirred up anger among the local residents on the Indonesian island.
Following a series of incidents involving disrespectful behavior towards the cultural values of this beloved tourist destination, officials have pledged to take stringent measures against unruly visitors.
One recent incident has garnered widespread attention, thanks to Balinese influencer Ni Luh Djelantik who shared a video depicting a tourist repeatedly exposing themselves between Saturday and Sunday. This video has since received hundreds of thousands of views.
The initial post has garnered over 10,000 likes. The video originally posted by the individual engaging in meditation seems to have been removed.
According to The Jakarta Post, Tedy Riyandi, the head of immigration, stated, “We are presently conducting an inquiry into this matter.”
Although authorities have apprehended the individual responsible for the controversy stemming from his meditation, his identity and country of origin have not been released publicly during the ongoing investigation.
According to Mr Riyandi, the Immigration Office is currently exerting efforts to contact the social media account of the foreigner, but unfortunately, no response has been received thus far. He mentioned that the search is being coordinated with the Bali police in order to determine the exact location and time of the incident.
Bali has consistently attracted a significant number of international tourists each year. However, several well-known incidents have garnered widespread attention since the island’s reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in certain tourists being expelled from the island.
In March 2023, a Russian man caused great outrage by posing semi-naked on a sacred site in Bali. The tourist posted a now-deleted photo on Instagram, depicting him mooning atop Mount Agung. He later apologized for his actions.
In the subsequent month, a Russian lady was expelled from the country shortly after her arrest for showing disrespect towards a prestigious tree by posing naked for photographs beside it. This incident took place just a year after a comparable occurrence involving another Russian tourist.
Following these events, Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s Minister of Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment, promptly advocated for the implementation of a tourist tax. The rationale behind this proposition stemmed from Bali’s reputation as an inexpensive destination, which has attracted a significant number of economically disadvantaged foreign visitors. Unfortunately, this influx has resulted in an upsurge of disorderly conduct within the region.
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