Tito to Sanction Regional Heads Travelling Abroad During Eid Holiday
Indonesia’s Interior Minister (Mendagri), Tito Karnavian, has warned of potential sanctions against regional heads who travel abroad during the Eid holiday period of 14-28 March 2026.
Tito stated that sanctions could include dismissal or suspension for three months, asserting that such provisions are regulated under existing legislation.
“If they travel abroad without permission, there are rules under the Regional Government Law that can be applied, one of which is suspension for three months,” Tito said at parliament on Tuesday evening, 10 March.
He stressed that the Interior Ministry’s circular regarding the ban on regional heads travelling abroad is unrelated to a telegram from the TNI Commander ordering military personnel to stand at alert status.
According to Tito, the Interior Ministry’s circular is based on considerations of public mobility during the Eid holiday period. He noted that Eid is the peak period for public leisure activities.
“I myself was once a police substation commander, police district commander, and provincial police commander. So at peak times, tourist attractions are usually crowded. Besides, after the holiday, beaches, zoos, and theme parks tend to be packed,” Tito said.
Reference to Itaewon tragedy
Tito also cited the Halloween tragedy at Itaewon in Seoul, South Korea on 29 October 2022. In that tragedy, 159 people died in a crush in a narrow alley.
More than 100,000 people gathered for the first Halloween celebration after the pandemic, crowding a steep area and causing a mass crush. As a result, Tito noted, local government officials became suspects in the tragedy.
“As I recall, the district mayor in that area—not the Seoul mayor, but something like a district mayor as we have here—became a suspect,” Tito said.
He stated that the circular banning regional heads from travelling abroad was inspired by the Itaewon tragedy. Even though that city and country are known as developed, poor management can result in tragic consequences.
Not only local officials but also police officers became suspects for being deemed negligent and failing to manage the crowd properly.
“The police officers in that area also became suspects because they were deemed unable to manage the crowd, and through their negligence, people died,” Tito said.
“That is what prompted my policy,” he added.
Tito said his office wanted to anticipate similar situations during the Eid period, as that is the peak season for public leisure activities.
The ban on regional heads travelling abroad is contained in the Interior Ministry’s Circular (SE) No. 000.2.3/1171/SJ dated 8 March 2026.
Tito explained that the policy was adopted to ensure regional governments remain focused on implementing several strategic agendas before and during the Eid holiday period.
“For any authorised overseas official travel or permission to travel abroad for important reasons already issued for the specified departure date, cancellation or postponement and rescheduling of the activity should be carried out,” he said.