Bali Mayor Calls For End Of Social Media Vigilantism Against Tourists

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Leaders in Bali are calling on the public to end social media vigilantism in order to help preserve the tourism resort’s public image.

Calls come as there has been another sharp rise in the amount of viral videos and formal reports of tourists behaving badly in Bali. 

Speaking to reporters, the – Deputy Mayor of Denpasar, Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa, has reminded the public not to ‘viralize’ or spread videos of negative behavior carried out by foreign tourists while on holiday in Bali.

He’s calling for the positive contributions foreigners and tourists be highlighted too. This he feels, will not only save Bali’s public image but also help encourage more good behaviour too. 

Wibawa explained “Foreign tourists who attend not only have a negative impact, but many also bring a positive aura when visiting Bali.”

He noted how there are many tourists and expats in Bali who care deeply about the island, social justice issues and environmental issues faced by the province. 

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Wibawa said, “Why don’t we highlight that? Why do we only spread the negative side of tourists? For example, there is a community from Russia who often helps us clean up Sanur Beach.”

He believes that by making a conscious effort to showcase the positive impacts of tourism in Bali and the presence of foreigners on the island, it will be easier to move the needle towards culturally respectful and sustainable tourism as standard, as is the overall mission of the Bali Province Government and Bali Tourism Office. 

Wibawa added, “If you see Bali tourism like this, with lots of foreign tourists acting up, will you not switch to tourist areas such as Thailand, Vietnam, and so on? This is what needs to be anticipated so that the news is balanced. Positive things from foreign tourists must also be highlighted.”

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Social media vigilantism has been on the rise in Bali since the pandemic.

Aside from the rise in the number of foreigners behaving badly, the nature of the bad behavior is seemingly becoming more outrageous than ever before.

Local communities voiced that they feel the only way they can catch the attention of the authorities over these matters is to make incidents of bad behavior go viral. 

Sometimes though, videos go viral online of foreigners not doing anything illegal or inherently disrespectful, simply for being a little different in their ways.

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That being said, citizen journalism on community-run Instagram and TikTok accounts also highlights local people breaking the law or acting disrespectfully.

While the incidents of foreigners behaving badly get the most attention, citizen journalism social media accounts publish content quickly, often live as events are unfolding, and with little regard for the nature of the content itself.

Culturally, there is a huge divide between what both communities feel is and isn’t appropriate to share online in such scenarios.

Yet, everyone in Indonesia has to be extra careful about what they share and post online due to the country’s strict online censorship laws.

It is not uncommon for images and videos of violent crime, traffic collisions, and people experiencing mental health crises all to be published online in real time. In the event that these kinds of scenarios involve foreigners, the content goes viral even more quickly. 

Nevertheless, many of the viral videos of foreigners do show behavior that is outrightly illegal, culturally disrespectful, and enacted knowingly by the people involved.

It is this kind of behavior that Wibawa wants to see stopped from going viral. 

Leaders across the Central and Provincial Governments want to see firmer action taken against foreigners who break the law on the island and promote Bali as a destination that is a beacon of culturally respectful and sustainable tourism to the world.

Speaking during her visit to Singaraja City the Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Pramella Y Pasaribu, emphasized her commitment to take firm action against rogue foreigners who are proven to have broken the law and disrespected local culture. 

She told reporters, “We will not hesitate to take firm action against foreigners who violate the rules. This is a form of our commitment to maintaining state sovereignty and providing a sense of security for the Indonesian people, especially in Bali.”