Bali Calls On Russian And Ukrainian Tourists To Respect Local Culture

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The Indonesian Minister for Tourism and Creative Economies has issued statements to the press, specifically calling on Russian and Ukrainian tourists and long-stay visitors in Bali to respect local culture.

His statements come as two Ukrainian men and one Russian man have been arrested in connection with running a drugs lab in Canggu, and a Ukrainian woman and her daughter have been deported for theft. 

In an interview with the press, Minister Sandiaga Uno confirmed that he is calling for the authorities to pay ‘special attention’ to Russian and Ukrainian citizens in Bali.

He noted how there have been several incidences of serious crime in Bali in recent weeks that have been connected to both Ukrainian and Russian citizens.

While Minister Uno did not want to tarnish all people with the same brush, especially since an Australian citizen has also been arrested on serious drug charges this month, he suggested that there is a trend to be observed. 

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Minister Uno told reporters, “There must be special attention. Even though the number of tourist visits, Russia and Ukraine are not among the highest.”

He also confirmed that Russian and Ukrainian investors are not the highest paying nor the most frequent at this moment in time. 

He added, “But they have the potential to manage their investments related to the digital economy and several breakthroughs that we are making to increase the amount of investment here (in Bali). They must comply with all local wisdom and applicable laws and regulations in Indonesia.”

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Minister Uno’s statement comes as several incidences of Russian and Ukrainian tourists behaving badly have gone viral in the last week or so, and a Ukrainian woman and her daughter have been deported. 

It was confirmed this week by the Bali Province Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights through the Denpasar Immigration Detention Center that a 35-year-old Ukrainian citizen with the initials IG and her 9-year-old daughter has been deported after being detained by offices for 74 days. 

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IG was initially arrested on theft charges and was subsequently found guilty of stealing a number of items of high-value jewelry from a bowtie in Canggu.

The Head of Denpasar Immigration, Gede Dudy Duwita, said that the deportation had been carried out and that IG and her daughter were finally deported via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after being willing to bear all the costs of repatriation.

Not only has IG been deported, but she will also be included in the deterrence list at the Directorate General of Immigration.

Duwita explained, “IG has no other choice but to be detained for 74 days because he has to wait for the UK visa issuance process, which cannot be completed in a short time. Rudenim Denpasar officers closely guarded the IG and his daughter on board the plane before leaving Indonesian territory, the final destination of which was London Gatwick Airport, England.”

The pair chose to return to the UK, where IG’s daughter is a citizen, and remain there for the foreseeable future. According to the report from Bali Immigration, IG admitted that she entered Indonesia on July 21, 2023, using a Visa On Arrival (VoA).

Several months later, she was involved in an unspecified incident that caught the attention of the Bali authorities.

It was reported that on ‘October 30, 2023, due to depression due to being deceived by the agency regarding applying for a visa to England, IG was determined to steal some jewelry from a souvenir shop in the Canggu area.’

IG returned to the shop the following day and admitted what she had done. She requested to deal with the issue without the police but subsequently handed herself in.

She faced the full legal proceedings and spent 4-months in Kerobokan Class IIA Women’s Prison while her daughter was cared for by an Indonesian friend. 

Duwita told the press “after completing her sentence, IG was handed over to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, and on March 6, 2024, by Ngurah Rai Immigration, IG and her daughter were handed over to Denpasar Immigration for detention and further deportation [was completed].”