Police in Bali have launched an investigation into a series of videos shot, showing a group of men dressed in motocross gear, who took the flirtatious Balinese dance joget bumbung too far, as they outright humped and harassed the Balinese dancers performing at an event.
To make matters worse, it turns out the inappropriate videos were recorded at a fundraiser event for the benefit of Mount Agung evacuees in Les Village, Tejakula, Buleleng on Nov. 19. Have they no decency at all?
Buleleng Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief Mikael Hutabarat says that police have already questioned eight witnesses related to the “pornographic” incident, including the dancers and event organizers, but the case is actually being managed by province-level police, Polda Bali.
Indonesia has strict anti-porn laws and spreading or exhibiting content deemed as pornography is punishable up to 12 years in prison for adults and it seems politicians in Bali have been pushing law enforcement to classify this as a pornography case.
Bali’s Regional Council DPRD even met late November to discuss the matter.
“This is dangerous. It’s a threat to Balinese generations, Balinese culture even. This can be said to be a Joget Porno,” said Professor Komang Astika, cultural advisor chair to the Bali DPRD.
But police have not yet formally charged anyone.
“We are still waiting for the investigation results from Polda Bali,” Hutabarat told Merdeka on Tuesday.
“The case is now being handled by Polda Bali because it involves the Cyber Crimes Team,” Hutabarat explained.
Joget bumbung is a controversial dance in Bali because unlike many traditional Balinese dances, it’s done for entertainment purposes, rather than religious ones. Bali’s governor has previously even tried to get the dance banned, while a joget festival was held in Denpasar earlier this year in an attempt to try and sanitize the risqué dance.
In joget bumbung, female dancers move seductively and invite audience members to join, but what we saw in the viral videos under investigation was downright uncomfortable and appalling, as men from the crowd forced themselves upon the dancers, latching on and gyrating—all the while as children looked on.
