Canadian man to be deported from Bali for naked dance on volcano

Jeffrey Craigen screenshot.

They say fame comes at a price. It definitely did for one Canadian man in Bali who posted a viral video of himself dancing naked on a volcano believed to be sacred by the Balinese. After his little stunt, he is set to be deported from the Indonesian island. Craigen reportedly posted a video of himself doing a Maori dance known as the Haka, while naked on top of Mount Batur. Mount Batur is a volcano that many people in Bali consider sacred.

The man, Jeffrey Craigen, has lived in Indonesia since 2019 as a tourist and to study alternative treatments for osteoporosis, according to the head of Bali’s immigration office. But now, officials say he will be blacklisted, preventing him from entering Bali anytime soon. The immigration office head, Jamaruli Manihuruk, calls on foreigners to respect Bali’s culture.

Craigen has claimed he didn’t realise the mountain was a holy site. He was detained and questioned this week after social media users sent a barrage of complaints, accusing him of disrespecting Balinese religious values. But as Craigen waits to be deported, the head of Denpasar immigration office says that airlines have not agreed to transport him yet because he isn’t vaccinated against Covid-19 (the devil’s always in the detail).

On his website, Craigen claims he works with people to allegedly cure health problems by “exploring unconscious repressed anger tied to perfectionism”. In addition to being a wellness coach, the Thai PBS report says that he is also an actor.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World | Mind Body Healer

World News

Tara Abhasakun

A Thai-American dual citizen, Tara has reported news and spoken on a number of human rights and cultural news issues in Thailand. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history from The College of Wooster. She interned at Southeast Asia Globe, and has written for a number of outlets. Tara reports on a range of Thailand news issues.

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