A Swiss tourist has been given a one-year jail sentence in Bali. His crime was saying bad things about a Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is a special time for Hindus. On this day, the island becomes quiet. People stay at home to fast and meditate. The 26-year-old tourist broke the rules by going outside. He filmed himself walking to a beach. As he walked, he used a lot of bad language. He said the silence and lack of people were "crazy". He was arrested after the video he uploaded on social media made Balinese people angry.
The Day of Silence has been celebrated for hundreds of years. People in Bali try to be quiet for one day. They do not work, travel, or do leisure activities. Bali's airport shuts down and people have less access to the internet. Some people, such as traditional Balinese security officers, can go outside. They make sure people are indoors. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry. The tourist said he did not understand how important Nyepi was. He did not mean to insult the Balinese people. He was very regretful for what he did.
Try the same news story at these levels:
Day of Silence - Level 0, Day of Silence - Level 1 or Day of Silence - Level 3
Sources- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4kr59r28ko
- https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-swiss-tourist-trial-nyepi-348f1d4b701051f5d7abcf85eae0404c
- https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-abroad-community/swiss-tourist-jailed-for-insulting-bali-sacred-day/91928780
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