Why is a Russian tourist facing deportation in Indonesia?

A Russian tourist who courted anger by posing semi-naked atop a sacred mountain in Bali would be deported from Indonesia.

The man, identified as only Yuri, had posted a photo with his pants down his ankles on Mount Agung last week. The picture went viral with angry social media users calling for his deportation.

Mount Agung, the tallest point on the Indonesian island, is revered by Hindus who believe it to be a home of the gods, noted BBC.

Following the backlash, he deleted the Instagram post and apologised.

Let’s take a closer look at the story.

Yuri’s picture sparks outrage

Not only did Yuri strip off his pants, but he was also part of a group of seven tourists who climbed the peak of Mount Agung without registering first, which is not allowed, as per an Independent report.

As his post gained traction, locals and tourists slammed the tourist, calling for his deportation.

After that, Yuri formally apologised at a restorative meeting with community leaders, the report added.

He also took part in a special cleansing ceremony for Mount Agung, a ritual that BBC says is held by locals after such incidents.

Yuri also issued an apology in a long Instagram post for his behaviour, saying since then he has learned more about the culture and religion of Bali which has made him realise his “mistake”.

“I want to apologise for my actions that desecrated the sacred volcano for the local population,” Yuri wrote, as per Independent.

“There is no excuse for my actions. The only thing that led to what happened was my personal ignorance. Ignorance of the peculiarities of the local religion.”

“Agung is a sacred symbol for the Balinese. Shiva destroys the universe in a continuous circle of rebirths,” he added.

“The locals revere the gods and believe that if you anger them, an eruption will occur. And this will lead to the destruction of the island.”

He also said he had written to all main groups who posted his picture to know how to “fix the situation”.

“I am very sorry that this happened.”

As per AFP, mountains and trees are believed to be holy by the Hindus in Bali, who consider them to be a dwelling of the gods.

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Yuri banned from Indonesia

As per The Jakarta Post, Yuri, who has a visa-on-arrival permit, will be put on a blacklist that will not allow him to return to the country for at least the next six months.

“He violated norms and showed no respect for our culture,” Bali law and human rights office head Anggiat Napitupulu told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday (28 March).

Calling the tourist “crazy”, Wijaya, Russia’s honorary consul general in Bali, told CNN Indonesia that deporting him was the “right” move.

Bali has ramped up actions against unruly foreign tourists recently.

A top immigration official has also called for a “no compromise” policy in dealing with foreign tourists who get entangled in legal matters, reported The Jakarta Post.

Earlier this month, authorities in Bali said they plan to ban foreign tourists from renting motorcycles after a series of incidents involving people breaking traffic laws emerged.

The same month, Bali’s Governor, I Wayan Koster, announced plans to revoke visa-on-arrival permits for tourists from Russia and Ukraine. He said that many people from the two European nations have “flocked to Bali” since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, but were frequently not adhering to local laws and regulations.

As per BBC, Bali provincial administration is likely to restrict tourist access to the island’s mountains citing “excessive” tourism.

Independent report says that Indonesia is also considering launching billboards at popular tourist destinations to inform visitors about appropriate behaviour.

Recent incidents of bad-behaved tourists

Yuri’s is not a lone case of a tourist disrespecting the island’s rules. Bali, which is a popular destination for foreign visitors, has seen many such incidents recently.

In 2022, Canadian actor Jeffrey Douglas Craigen evoked ire after a video of him dancing naked on Mount Batur in central Bali went viral. He was deported from Indonesia after the incident.

The same year, Russian yoga influencer Alina Fazleeva and her husband were deported from Bali after she posed naked on a 700-year-old banyan tree at a temple in Tabanan district.

A three-minute video of a Russian couple having sex on Mount Batur in 2021 had also sparked a massive uproar.

With inputs from agencies

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