'Ghosts' to scare people off streets in Indonesian village if virus does not

KUALA LUMPUR (April 16): The undead wrapped in white sheets are being used to ‘spook’ people in a central Java village to staying at home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, say reports.

The "pocong" or a ghost that is known to haunt graveyards is traditionally wrapped a white burial shroud and they have been roped in to “patrol” the village streets, reported CNN.

"First of all, we want to be different. Secondly, to create a deterrent effect because 'pocong' is spooky and scary," said the head of the youth volunteer group of Kepuh village in Sukoharjo, Anjar Pancaningtyas, who initiated the effort in cooperation with the local police.

"Since we set up the pocong roadblock, the environment of the village has become more conducive [to the idea of staying inside]," he added.

CNN also reported that the “ghosts are not particularly agile and have to bunny-hop because their hands and feet are bound in the shrouds”.

News wire Reuters also checked out the success of the pocong in Kepuh village, and it reported that “the supernatural strategy seemed to be working, with villagers running off in fright when the ghosts materialised”.

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