Indonesia’s 2023 social media roller coaster: bad behaviour in Bali, blasphemy, and a rising star

In 2023, Indonesia’s social media landscape mirrored its rich cultural tapestry, offering a vibrant mix of startling, controversial, and heartening narratives. From Bali’s tourist turmoil and TikTok blasphemy arrests to the inspiring journeys of the nation’s spirited youth, these are some of the tales that dominated the Indonesian internet, reflecting a year of intense emotion and spirited discourse

Problems in paradise

Bali was still in recovery mode for most of 2023, with many on the island eager to get the number of tourists back to pre-pandemic highs. However, a series of viral incidents involving visitors to the island exhibiting shocking behaviour, many involving disrespect for Bali’s cultural and spiritual beliefs, led to heated debate on social media over whether Bali should be focused on improving the quality of tourists instead.

Russian tourist deported from Bali over nude photo on sacred tree

Task force in Indonesia’s Bali to weed out low-spending misbehaving tourists

Digital despair

In January, internet users in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy were stunned by a growing number of online beggars who were taking advantage of the gift-giving features offered by TikTok. Many of them were elderly women who would pour dirty river water over themselves, on demand, in exchange for virtual gifts.

After one such video went viral, people began questioning whether the women were doing the stunts of their own accord or if they were being exploited by family members.

Indonesia’s ‘TikTok beggars’ spark concerns of exploitation

One of the women, Raimin, said she was not forced to do the stunt, she simply needed the money. “I am poor, I don’t have money to buy [groceries], I live alone,” the 66-year-old said, adding that she had done this five times, earning around 2 million rupiah (US$133) each round.

The videos sparked condemnation in Jakarta, with social minister Tri Rismaharini issuing a circular urging the public to report similar videos to local authorities. The ministry of communications and informatics eventually asked TikTok to take down the mud bath videos, saying it was “very concerned” by the videos and urged users to report similarly inappropriate content.

Burned alive or beaten: mob rule in Indonesia over child abduction rumours

Hysteria hits

Early in the year, Indonesia experienced a wave of panic and vigilantism sparked by rumours of child abductions which often targeted the mentally ill and homeless. A viral video of a child apparently being dragged into a sack by a man in a black jacket in the city of Bekasi, near Jakarta, was debunked as a hoax from 2020, but not before it ignited widespread fears among parents. This was compounded by another case in Surabaya, where a homeless woman with mental health issues was wrongfully accused of being a child abductor.

Tragically, in Sorong, Papua, another woman with mental health issues was brutally attacked and set on fire by a mob after being wrongly accused of kidnapping. She later died in hospital. Similar unfounded accusations led to a man with mental illness being attacked in Surabaya. These incidents highlighted a deep-seated mistrust in the government’s ability to protect citizens, leading to mob justice and scapegoating of vulnerable individuals. It also underscores the urgent need for accurate information dissemination and empathy towards those with mental health issues.

Lampung’s lament

In April, Bima Yudho Saputro, an Indonesian student studying in Australia, shared a TikTok video criticising the poor infrastructure in Lampung, highlighting his home province’s many stalled projects and inadequate education facilities. The video went viral and earned the wrath of Lampung’s governor, Arinal Djunaidi, who reported Bima to the police for violating the country’s stringent internet law that critics say is designed to stifle free speech.

The situation escalated after Bima reported threats against his family by local officials and even his parents were reprimanded by the governor. However, national support rallied behind Bima, with notable figures such as coordinating minister Mahfud MD and activists condemning the governor’s actions. The police eventually dropped the case against Bima, citing no evidence of a crime.

‘No crime’: TikTokker vindicated in row over Indonesian infrastructure

Faith furore

Although rights activists have long denounced Indonesia’s strict blasphemy laws for being abusive and discriminatory, they are still very much in use, as could be seen in several social media-related cases.

In May, a travel influencer named Lina Lutfiawati was named a suspect in a blasphemy case after she posted a video of herself eating pork skin just after she said an Arabic phrase that means “in the name of Allah” while visiting the Hindu-majority island of Bali. She was charged after a Muslim cleric in the city of Palembang in South Sumatra province reported her to the police for blasphemy. In September, she was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison.

Indonesian woman who prayed then ate pork on TikTok video jailed for 2 years

Rising star