Hina Alam, Canadian Press Published Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7:13 PM EDT Last Updated on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7:13 PM EDT
VANCOUVER – A man from Vancouver is facing deportation from Bali, Indonesia, on charges of dancing 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 Jeffrey Douglas Cragan, 33, was accused of making an “immoral video of Mount Batur” and violating Balinese culture.
“The regional director of the Bali Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Jamaruli Manihuruk, said that if the foreigner was found guilty of the offense, he would be subject to immigration administrative action in the form of deportation,” he said. the message says.
“The immigration officer has the right to take administrative action against foreign nationals on Indonesian territory who engage in dangerous activities and are considered a threat to public safety and order or in violation of regulations and laws.
Neither Global Affairs Canada nor the Indonesian embassy returned requests for comment.
In a video posted to Cragan’s Instagram account but later deleted, he was seen performing haka – a New Zealand Maori ceremonial dance – naked on Mount Batur, an active volcano that is considered a sacred site.
The statement said Cragan was in the process of re-applying for his visa and his passport had been confiscated. He was asked to report to the immigration office in Denpasar on Monday, the statement said.
“We call on the people of Bali to be proactive in monitoring and reporting all types of violations by foreign nationals to the authorities so that action can be taken,” Manihuruk said in a statement.
“And to all foreign nationals who visit Bali, please behave properly, respect the laws and cultural values of Bali. For the honor of the country, we will react categorically to any violation. “
In 2015, two Saskatchewan residents were detained in Malaysia on charges of posing naked on Kinabalu Peak, the country’s highest peak, days before a magnitude 5.9 earthquake killed 18 climbers on the mountain.
In a separate 18-minute video posted on Instagram on Tuesday, Cragan said he did not want to offend the Maori or Balinese. He said he “really doesn’t know what I did or didn’t do.”
“It was not my intention to ignore Maori culture,” he said, crying. “I did not even know the words I was saying. I just expressed what I felt. And I sincerely apologize for any pain I have inflicted on any Maori people. It was not my intention … I did not respect the Balinese people.
Cragan, an actor and self-proclaimed mind-body healer, said he was “in immigration.”
“This is not a request to stay in the country,” he said. “It’s just a heartfelt apology. So I apologize to the Maori people for disrespecting their culture. That was not my intention. My intention was simply to feel alive because I had felt dead inside for so long. I do not know what to do. I am in immigration. I don’t have any support … I don’t want to be here. “
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 28, 2022.
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