Dutch Nationals Behind Bali 'Discriminatory' Fun Run Banned from Indonesia

Indonesian immigration authorities have blacklisted two Dutch nationals for organizing a running event in Bali that allegedly excluded Indonesian citizens and catered exclusively to foreigners. Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko condemned the event, dubbed 'Bali Silent Disco,' as a form of 'state within a state' and discriminatory towards Indonesians. The two Dutch citizens, identified by the initials JAS (35), who held a limited stay permit for work, and HQV (37), who held an investor permit, were identified as organizers. They reportedly left Indonesia on Wednesday, July 23, via Singapore. Immigration has placed them on a blacklist, preventing their re-entry. Hendarsam emphasized that foreigners are not permitted to organize events in Indonesia, with their roles generally limited to official crew or team members for events involving international performers. He instructed the Bali immigration office to investigate the event organizers, stating that any foreigners involved would be arrested. The immigration office is also summoning the sponsors of the two Dutch nationals, PT SIG, to clarify their activities during their stay and the compliance with their permits. The controversy erupted after screenshots of alleged discriminatory conversations circulated on social media, showing Indonesian applicants being rejected while a German applicant was accepted. This sparked public outcry and questions about nationality-based participant selection. Entourage Bali, the community group behind the event, issued a statement on Instagram denying discriminatory intent. They claimed Entourage was established as a community for digital nomads and aimed to connect them for enjoyable activities. They attributed the rejections to technical issues with automated approvals for WhatsApp groups and non-active events, stating that some Indonesian numbers were incorrectly rejected. Despite their explanation, Entourage Bali has temporarily suspended all events and activities, taking full responsibility for the incident and promising future improvements.