Outcry Over Alleged Discrimination by Foreign Running Club in Bali, Immigration Steps In

A running event called Bali Silent Disco has become the target of netizen backlash. The event is alleged to have violated immigration regulations and is accused of discriminating against local residents. Apart from being discriminatory, the foreign running club’s activities have also drawn complaints for disrupting traffic on public roads. The event was organised by a running community called Entourage Bali, which consists of foreign nationals. A number of applicants with Indonesian phone numbers, indicated by the +62 prefix, were reportedly rejected when trying to join the community’s WhatsApp group. The activities of the foreign running club quickly went viral on social media. The Directorate General of Immigration subsequently stepped in, resulting in a travel ban against two Dutch nationals suspected of organising the community’s event. The Entourage Bali running community, allegedly initiated by an expatriate group, is suspected of limiting access for local runners. Several screenshots on social media showed complaints from local residents who were rejected when registering for the running activity. Prospective Indonesian participants felt they were obstructed and ignored, while foreign applicants could immediately gain approval to join the running event. Many parties assessed that the foreign running community’s exclusive control of public space had wounded the sense of justice for local residents. Condemnation came not only from Indonesian netizens but also from foreign running enthusiasts. ‘There is a running club in Bali that bans Indonesians from joining. We made this video because it is time to speak up for what is right,’ said British running enthusiast Josh Fothergill in a social media post. Similar criticism was voiced by his fellow runner, who viewed the rejection of locals as an act of arbitrariness. He urged the foreign running community to immediately change their behaviour or cease their activities. ‘How can you come to someone else’s country and feel you have the right to do something like that? Entourage Bali, fix your behaviour or get out of here!’ added another foreign running enthusiast, Jack Ahearn, in the same video recording. The digital nomad community Entourage Bali eventually apologised and temporarily suspended all its activities after being accused of discrimination against locals. The clarification was posted on their Instagram account. ‘First, we sincerely apologise to those who felt offended, as we had absolutely no intention of discriminating against anyone. We are temporarily stopping all current events to take full responsibility and promise to make real changes going forward,’ Entourage Bali wrote in an official statement. The Entourage management claimed there was a system error in the approval process for joining their community WhatsApp group. This technical error was cited as the trigger for the rejection of several applicants with +62 phone numbers. ‘There was indeed an automatic setting error in our system for the WhatsApp group and non-running events. Our intention was to create a gathering platform, but a bias emerged that caused some applicants with Indonesian numbers to be wrongly rejected,’ they stated. The running community stated that their membership has always been open to Indonesian citizens. However, they acknowledged that some activities had specific requirements according to their purpose, such as events specifically for digital nomads or leisurely walks for women. ‘In fact, digital nomad status is not determined by nationality; our community members come from many countries. Our running club events have also always been open to everyone without needing to register,’ the community’s account manager added. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Immigration took immediate action against two Dutch nationals suspected of organising the Bali Silent Disco running event. The event was suspected of violating immigration rules and being rife with discrimination against locals. ‘The running event was a form of a state within a state. Currently, the foreign nationals in question are known to be outside Indonesian territory, and Immigration has imposed a travel ban on them,’ said Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko. ‘I have ordered the Bali Immigration ranks to examine the event organiser; if there are foreign nationals involved, arrest them immediately,’ he added. The two foreign nationals have the initials JAS (35), who held a Limited Stay Permit (ITAS) for work, and HQV (37), an ITAS investor holder. Both were identified as the organisers of the running event held by Entourage Bali. Hendarsam stated that the two foreign nationals had left Indonesian territory on Thursday evening, flying on a KLM flight to Singapore via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. ‘We have now placed both of them on the blacklist,’ he explained. The Ngurah Rai Class I Special Immigration Office has also summoned the guarantor or sponsor of the two foreign nationals, PT SIG. The guarantor was questioned regarding the activities of the two foreigners while in Indonesia, including their compliance with the granted stay permits. Hendarsam stressed that foreign nationals are not permitted to manage or organise events in Indonesia as event organisers. According to him, foreigners are only allowed to be part of the crew or official team for events involving international performers or artists. He reminded that every activity involving foreign nationals must comply with the rules. Foreigners, he said, must not act as if they can create their own rules and exclusivity within Indonesia’s jurisdiction.