Indonesia to deport Canadian for disrespecting sacred mountain

Indonesia

Tourist Jeffrey Craigen posted a video where he is seen dancing naked in the Mount Batur area

Authorities in Indonesia’s Hindu-majority Bali province are to deport a Canadian tourist for dancing naked on a mountain considered sacred by local people.

Jeffrey Douglas Craigen, a 34-year-old actor, last week posted a video of himself doing the haka, a ceremonial dance in New Zealand’s Maori culture, while nude on top of Mount Batur in Bangli district.

The video went viral, generating negative reactions from netizens. Craigen was questioned by authorities early this week and has since been detained at Denpasar immigration detention center.

Jamaruli Manihuruk, who heads the Bali regional office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said Craigen made the video to express himself and was found guilty of committing a violation. He will be deported and put on a blacklist preventing him from entering Bali for the foreseeable future.

Tedy Riyandi, head of Denpasar Immigration Office, said the deportation would take a couple of weeks as the Canadian wasn’t vaccinated against Covid-19.

Speaking to UCA News on April 26, I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, head of the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council’s Bali chapter, said the Balinese people regarded Mount Batur as “the palace of the gods and goddesses.”

“I was just lost. I just needed support. But I did not know how to ask for it. When I was on the mountain, I was just dead inside. And I did not know how to face this feeling because it was so painful”

“It is the symbol of purusha or the Sanskrit word for consciousness,” he said. “Thus, the Balinese people respect and uphold religious ethics related to Mount Batur. They even hold a traditional ritual at the mountain once in six months or once a year.”

According to him, the Balinese people believe that any disrespectful behavior at the mountain may impact both local people and the offender in the form of a disaster like a trembling mountain or a disease.

The Hindu leader said a purifying ritual needs to be organized to negate the harm. But he was absolutely sure the incident would not harm religious harmony as “the Balinese people are mature enough.”

Authorities need to devise a policy regarding tourist access to Mount Batur to prevent a similar offense, he suggested.

Craigen posted an apology in the form of an 18-minute video on Instagram on April 26. He cried and said he did not mean to disrespect the Balinese people.

“I was just lost. I just needed support. But I did not know how to ask for it. When I was on the mountain, I was just dead inside. And I did not know how to face this feeling because it was so painful,” he said.

“I apologize to the Balinese people. I apologize to the Maori people. I am very sorry. I was just doing the best I could. I did not know. Whether you hate me, that is fine. But I cannot go on like this anymore.” 

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