Bali is never short for stories of tourists going rogue, but a shocking incident that took place in North Kuta takes the top spot this week: authorities have apprehended a man after he was spotted walking the streets with a naked bottom half. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has unsurprisingly caused a stir after a since-deleted video went viral on social media.
History has a funny way of repeating itself. Last year, a wannabe internet star was chucked out of Bali for taking some pretty risque photos with one of the island’s most sacred trees that’s over 700 years old. Earlier this year, a Russian was deported for exactly the same naked stunt. Last month, a woman was arrested for taking her kit off at a sacred temple. Now, an as-yet unidentified man has been apprehended and faces deportation after hitting the streets with a bare bottom half…
The man was captured in several clips which quickly went viral across a number of social media platforms. In the videos, he can be seen strolling from Umalas to Tegal Cupek with a welcome but wholly insufficient batik cloth loosely draped around his waist.
The video takes a more sinister turn, however, when he begins to intermittently lift up the cloth before removing it entirely, exposing his genitals and buttocks to an unwilling crowd in a densely populated area of the city.
WATCH: Last month, a similar incident occurred at a sacred temple in Bali…
Law enforcement officials from Badung’s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and local police initially managed to apprehend the man at around 5 pm local time. However, the police seemingly took their eye off the ball, and the man quickly evaded their grasp and fled the scene, continuing his flashy antics for another ninety minutes before authorities managed to catch up with him again at approximately 6:30 pm. I Made Astika, Chief of Badung Satpol PP, confirmed that:
“There was resistance from the foreigner during the arrest, but no violence occurred.”
I Made Astika, Chief of Badung Satpol PP
Following his arrest, the man has been taken to Prof Ngoerah General Hospital for a psychological evaluation, as recommended by Satpol PP. However, the man — who has been mute since his arrest in an apparent protest against his apprehension — has refused to identify himself to police, making it difficult to process him, identify the best way to look after him, or begin finding avenues for his release, whether that be back into Bali or on a plane home…
Sources suggest that the latter may be significantly more likely, however, with Satpol PP urging immigration authorities to deport the man from Indonesia under the charge of public obscenity and disorder. Pending the outcome of his mental evaluation and further investigation, authorities intend to take appropriate action soon. For now, the man remains in custody.
As the investigation continues, authorities are urging the public to refrain from sharing or spreading the video clips as it may violate privacy rights and hinder the ongoing legal process. Regardless, the incident comes after a string of similarly raucous offences — for which travelling Aussies seem to be especially prevalent offenders — that have caused Bali authorities to consider setting up widespread public information campaigns in an effort to tame their tourists.
Whether psychological issues, substance abuse, or sun-soaked celebrations are to blame, it seems that Bali is incapable of shaking its reputation as a haven for raucous tourists, however hard they may try. For now, it seems that bare bottoms and bad decisions are here to stay.