Bali jails tourist for not respecting Day of Silence

A tourist from Switzerland has been given a one-year jail sentence in Bali, Indonesia. His crime was insulting (saying bad things about) an important Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is a sacred time for Hindus in Bali. On this day, the island becomes quiet. People stay at home. They try to be silent, and they fast and meditate. The 26-year-old Swiss tourist broke the rules by going outside. He filmed himself walking to an empty beach. As he walked, he used a lot of swear words and 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 centuries. Today, people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am the following day. During this period, people do not work, travel, or take part in leisure activities. Bali's airport shuts down and people have less access to the internet. Most people must stay at home. However, some people, such as traditional Balinese security officers, can go outside. They walk the streets to make sure people are indoors. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry and hurt their religious feelings. The tourist said he did not understand how important Nyepi was, and that he did not mean to insult the Balinese people. He expressed deep regret for what he did.