‘Go to hell’: Indonesian woman pays for traditional ritual in Hong Kong to ‘curse’ her government

Indonesian woman ‘curses’ government through ritual in Hong Kong

An Indonesian official’s statement that the country “sends oxygen” to Singapore and Malaysia when there is no haze recently drew widespread criticism.

But while most people expressed their discontent online, an Indonesian content creator decided to take her ire to a supernatural level.

She paid for a traditional ‘villain-hitting’ ritual in Hong Kong to “curse” the Indonesian government for the sake of her home country.

She shared a video of the ritual on TikTok on Sunday (11 Oct), which gained her support from many netizens.

Paid for ‘villain hitting’ service in Hong Kong

The content creator, Nikena, seems to be proof of the popular saying: “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned”.

Speaking to MS News, she shared that she had seen a video about the ritual on TikTok, which led her to Google it when she was in Hong Kong last month.

This led her to under bridge in Causeway Bay, where stalls offer the folk ritual service ‘villain hitting’.

In the video, Nikena is seen holding a set of offerings and a paper effigy.

A woman later uses a slipper to beat the piece of paper, which bears a drawing of a man, until it crumples and tears.

In the text overlay, Nikena wrote “pray for [the] corrupt Indonesian government” and “may all of you go to hell”.

What even is ‘villain hitting’?

Villain hitting, or da siu yan, is a traditional Cantonese folk ritual usually performed by elderly women.

However, rather than putting a sinister curse at one’s enemy, the ritual is actually meant to allow the aggrived to express and let go of their resentment.

The centuries-old ritual went viral on social media as a unique, cathartic way to vent stress, with some calling it “cheaper than therapy”.

Presently, some people who provide this service appear to advertise the ritual to those who hold grudges towards a toxic ex, boss, or colleague, among others.

Now, clients don’t even need to fly to Hong Kong as some businesses have websites allowing them to avail of the service remotely.

Anger shown as a response to the government’s actions

Speaking to MS News, Nikena said that she paid for the service to “show the emotion to [the] Indonesian government nowadays”.

She said the government official’s statement about sending oxygen to Singapore when there is no haze made her feel “upset” and “sad”.

“We couldn’t do anything besides [trying] to speak [up] on social media,” she expressed.

She added, “The government is blind, they pretend everything is okay but in fact, it’s not. People [are] struggling here.”

However, Nikena clarified that she did not go to Hong Kong solely for the villain-hitting ritual. She shared that she also enjoyed dining at local restaurants and having beer during her trip.

Many chiming in support of the OP’s actions

While Nikena’s intentions may seem unnerving, most netizens expressed support for her actions. A few even thanked her for putting effort into “cursing” the government.

Similarly frustrated towards the government, some said they are also praying for Nikena’s wishes to come true.

However, others were sceptical of the ritual’s effectiveness, questioning whether its effect can reach Indonesia.

Some also made light of the situation, quipping that the effects of the ritual may be held up at customs and asking if one has to pay import duty for “black magic”.

Also read: ‘When there is no haze, we send oxygen’: Indonesian official says forest fires are ‘beyond human error’

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Featured image adapted from @_nikena on TikTok.