Leaders Deny That Obscene Video Of Tourists Was Recorded On Bali Beach

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Bali has been dealing with a rise in cases of badly behaved tourists on the island. Foreigners have been caught breaking the law and disrespecting cultural norms in a variety of ways.

As leaders on the island have been introducing new protocols to crack down on the issue, one couple has been caught in the most compromising of positions…literally.

Earlier this week, footage circulated online of a couple having s*x on the beach in broad daylight. The footage first went viral on the island’s citizen journalism news accounts on Instagram.

The couple’s actions have since been described as obscene and sordid. Videos and subsequent screen grabs of the footage circulated far and wide online, but due to the graphic nature of the content, the majority of posts and reshares have been removed from the internet.

The actions of the couple triggered outrage from local communities and tourists alike. Naturally, commentators were calling for the couple to be tracked down and held accountable for their actions.

As dialogue online grew, concerned residents started to question where the footage was taken and which local authority must be contacted and held accountable for not intervening. 

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The Head of the Bali Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, has now denied that the footage was even recorded in Bali.

He said, “We have confirmed with the police the location is not in Bali; we have checked with the village head, and I will reiterate that it is not in Bali.”

However, Pemayun’s statements come after police officials launched an investigation and announced the location where the video was recorded.

Rumors started flying about whether the footage was taken in Kuta, Legian, or Seminyak.

The Head of Public Relations of Badung Police, Iptu Ketut Sudana, revealed: “the information is on Batu Bolong Beach in Canggu, North Kuta.” 

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Sudana confirmed that the North Kuta Criminal Investigation Unit launched an inquiry. Their primary concern is with the couple involved in the video, not those passing by or those who have recorded or shared the video.

Authorities in Bali recently had to remind residents of the country’s strict laws around sharing content that could be deemed indecent, pornographic, sacrilegious, defamatory, or culturally insensitive. 

As the general consensus from leaders is that the footage was not taken on the island, it is evident that authorities are keen to ensure that the saga serves as a reminder to local residents and tourists to play an active role in upholding the positive public image of the popular travel destination. 

@balibucketlisttours Mentally here #bali #balitravel #travelgirls #wearetravelgirls #bucketlisttravel #balitour #grouptravel #grouptrip #balibucketlisttours ♬ original sound – CAPCUT TEMPLATES – CAPCUT TEMPLATES

During a brief appearance at The Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno, the press conference held by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economies, both Pemayun and Minister Uno were keen to appeal to the public to play an active role in “maintaining the good name of dignified and quality Bali tourism.”

Minister Uno called on the public not to be “provoked” by the video nor to bring the dialogue out of context and risk creating fake news.

While police and authorities are clear that the footage was not taken in Indonesia, it has yet to be established where the crime took place.

The video first appeared on the island’s citizen journalism news accounts, and the circulating videos only focus on the couple and do not pan around to the surroundings. 

This is not the first time a tourist couple has hit the headlines for sharing an intimate moment in Bali.

Just last week, an investigation was launched into a couple who kissed after getting engaged at the deeply sacred Penataran Agung Lempuyang Temple, also known as the Gateway to Heaven temple.

Footage shared on citizen journalism news accounts showed a couple posing for their photo between the famous temple gates.

The man can be seen getting down on one knee and asking his partner to marry him. After she said yes, they shared a brief kiss and walked off the gateway step. 

Officials from the temple confirmed they were looking into the situation and reiterated their commitment to ensuring temple rules are understood and respected by visitors. 

Authorities in Bali have launched a series of solutions to crack down on unruly behavior by tourists on the island. This includes launching a dedicated hotline, setting new immigration targets, increasing police patrols, and sharing educational awareness campaigns online.