'Send them home': Stern warning from Bali governor to 'disorderly' tourists
After a video of a Czech Republic couple’s “insulting” behaviour in Bali went viral, a governor has issued a strong warning to foreign tourists.
The video features Sabina Dolezalova bending over and lifting up her skirt in a temple in Ubud, Bali. Then, Zdenek Slouka splashes water from a shrine on her buttocks.
Ms Dolezalova first shared the video on her Instagram stories, however it was then shared by Balinese designer, Niluh Djelantik.
“We welcome backpackers and luxury tourism as long as (they) respect and understand the customs we live,” Ms Djelantik wrote in the accompanying Instagram caption.
The couple copped immediate criticism online and later the pair issued an apology.
In the wake of this, Bali Governor Wayan Koster issued a stern warning to tourists.
“In the future, if there are tourists behaving like that we should just send them home, they are being disorderly coming to Bali. We will give them this warning,” he said, according to Antara News.
According to Kumparan, a local media outlet, the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board has weighed in on the situation, saying shocking indecent acts such as this occur due to lack of information.
"On average all who have ever done an act is not commendable in the holy place because they do not know and understand the rules that apply here," Ida Bagus Agung Partha Andyana said.
As it turns out, the couple in the video have been living in Bali, according to Dolezalova’s Instagram account, which has since been made private. It appears Slouka has deleted his Instagram account.
Following the video going viral, the couple shared another video, this time apologising.
“We are so sorry about the video from yesterday,” Slouka starts off saying. “We dishonoured the holy temple and holy water in Ubud and we didn’t know it.”
Dolezalova reiterated she didn’t know they were in a holy place.
“We really didn’t want to do anything bad, we are so truely sorry,” she said.
In another post made by Ms Djelantik, she shared screenshots of a conversation she had with the couple, where they again apologise and used their lack of faith as a justification.
“Because we are athiests [sic] it’s hard for us to recognize which place is holly [sic]”.
Dolezalova also said her and Slouka are trying to find a way to “fix it” and that she hoped people would forgive them.
Many people on social media did not accept the ignorance of the couple as an excuse.
According to Gianyar Police on Instagram, the couple met with police to apologise. The couple reportedly appeared before members of the community, where the temple is located and the “problem is deemed complete”.
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