Indonesia has reacted with fury after British adult content creator Bonnie Blue posted a video widely seen as insulting the Southeast Asian nation’s flag, sparking diplomatic complaints and a social media backlash.
Blue, 26, who was recently deported from the Indonesian resort island of Bali and barred from entering the country for a decade, posted a video filmed outside the Indonesian embassy in London that spread quickly on social media.
It shows her holding the Indonesian flag while standing alongside several masked men.
“Yes, I got arrested in Bali, and so for my last time, I came to the embassy so they could watch in person,” Blue says in the video.
As the men around her cheer, Blue attaches the flag to the back of her outfit and walks away, allowing it to trail along the ground. She continues her commentary by saying: “People said I’ve disrespected Bali culture. Instead, I am going to use this to wipe the floor.”
Blue also referred to a small fine she received during her deportation process in Indonesia earlier this month, saying she had come to the embassy to “pay my £8.55”.
The incident triggered a sharp reaction from Jakarta. According to The Jakarta Post, Indonesia’s government formally raised the matter with the British foreign ministry and police.
“The red and white flag is a symbol of sovereignty, honour, and national identity that must be respected by everyone, wherever they are,” the Indonesian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Many Indonesians took to social media to criticise what they described as a deliberate provocation.
Some urged fellow users to report Blue’s social media accounts while others said any grievance she held should have been addressed through official channels rather than by targeting the country’s flag.
One commenter wrote that Blue should confront authorities directly instead of insulting a symbol that represents “a symbol of our struggle and pride”.
Blue, along with at least 17 Australian and British men, was detained in Bali earlier this month on suspicion of filming pornographic content in violation of the majority Muslim nation’s morality laws. Indonesia enforces strict laws against pornography, with penalties reaching up to 12 years in prison and fines of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Investigators later dropped these charges, concluding the content was intended for private use rather than public release.
But a court ordered Blue to leave the country for violating visa rules and imposed a small fine for traffic violations.
After returning to Britain about two weeks ago, Blue downplayed the seriousness of the case. “I’m rich and have good lawyers,” she said, according to Us Weekly. “Did you really think I’d face jail time?”
