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Two Dutch men banned from Indonesia over alleged discriminatory run club event in Bali
Bali newsBali7 min read
Two Dutch expatriates have been banned from Indonesia by Bali's Immigration department for allegedly organizing a run club event, "Entourage Bali," that discriminated against local residents. The event, a "Silent Disco running event," was condemned by Bali's Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, who stated that foreign nationals are not permitted to manage events in Indonesia. The two men, identified as JAS, 35, and HQV, 37, left Bali for Singapore on Wednesday night and have been placed on a travel ban list. Complaints arose online, including from an Indonesian woman who stated her application to join was to be reviewed, while her husband's application with a "western name and number" was immediately accepted. Balinese-based Indonesian Senator Niluh Djelantik also criticized the event, stating that utilizing public spaces while rejecting local residents is unacceptable. Entourage Bali issued a statement apologizing for any offense, attributing the issue to errors in an automated approval process for their WhatsApp groups, which incorrectly rejected some Indonesian phone numbers. They claimed Indonesians represented nearly 25% of ticket sales for the silent disco run and have paused all events. This incident occurs as Bali immigration increases its crackdown on foreign nationals working on tourist visas, with the Australian Smartraveller website advising Australians to understand their visa conditions.
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