VANCOUVER – A Vancouver man faces deportation from Bali, Indonesia, alleging he danced naked on a sacred volcano in violation of the country’s laws.
A translated news release from Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights said 33-year-old Jeffrey Douglas Kreigen had been accused of making an “immoral video on Mount Batur” and of violating Balinese culture.
“The Regional Director of the Bali Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Jamaruli Manihuruk, has said that if the alien is found guilty of the offense, he will be deported in the form of deportation. “, Said the release.
“An immigration officer has the power to take administrative action against foreign nationals on Indonesian territory who engage in dangerous activities that are considered a threat to public safety and order or that violate regulations and laws.”
Neither Global Affairs Canada nor the Indonesian Embassy responded to requests for comment.
A video posted on Craigen’s Instagram account, but has since been deleted, shows him performing haka – a New Zealand Maori ritual dance – naked on Mount Batur, an active volcano considered sacred.
The announcement said Craigen was in the process of re-applying for his visa and his passport was confiscated. He was asked to report to Denpasar’s immigration office on Monday, he said.
“We urge the people of Bali province to be proactive in monitoring and reporting all kinds of violations by foreign nationals to the authorities so that action can be taken,” Manihuruk said in a statement.
“And to all foreigners visiting Bali, we ask you to behave properly, to respect the laws and cultural values of Bali. “For the honor of the country, we will respond vigorously to any violation.”
In 2015, two Saskatchewan residents were arrested in Malaysia after allegedly posing naked on Mount Kinabalu, the country’s highest peak, days before a 5.9 magnitude earthquake killed 18 climbers on the mountain.
In a separate 18-minute video posted on Instagram on Tuesday, Craigen said he did not want to offend the Maori or the Balinese. He said he “does not really know what I did or did not do”.
“It was not my intention to respect Maori culture,” he said, weeping. “I did not even know the words I was saying. I was just expressing how I felt. And I sincerely apologize for any harm I have done to any Maori people. That was not my intention. “It was not to respect the Balinese people.”
Craigen, an actor and self-proclaimed mind-body therapist, said he was “in immigration.”
“It is not a request to stay in the country,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. Well, I apologize to the Maori people for the disrespect of their culture. That was not my intention. My intention was just to feel alive because I felt dead inside for so long. I do not know what to do. I’m in immigration. I have no support… I do not want to be here. “
This Canadian Press report was first published on April 28, 2022.
