The Directorate General of Immigration has barred two foreign nationals from re-entering Indonesia after allegations that a running community in Canggu, Bali, discriminated against Indonesian citizens during participant registration.
The controversy began after a 23-year-old Indonesian woman shared her experience on social media, claiming that her application to join the Bali Silent Disco Run, organised by Entourage Bali, was rejected after she stated her nationality as Indonesian. The post quickly went viral, prompting widespread criticism and calls for an investigation into the organisers.
Immigration authorities are now examining whether the event, which was allegedly aimed primarily at foreign nationals, breached Indonesian immigration regulations and discriminated against local residents.
“The running event is a form of state within a state. Currently, the foreign nationals involved are known to be outside of Indonesia, and Immigration has issued travel bans against them. I have ordered Bali Immigration officials to investigate the event organisers. If any foreign nationals are found, arrest them immediately,” Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko said on Friday (24 July), as reported by detikBali.
Two Dutch Nationals Placed on Immigration Ban List
The Directorate General of Immigration identified the two organisers as Dutch nationals JAS (35) and HQV (37).
According to Immigration, JAS holds a Limited Stay Permit (ITAS) for employment, while HQV holds an Investor ITAS. Both are believed to have organised the running event under the Entourage Bali community.
Hendarsam said the pair had departed Indonesia on the evening of 23 July, travelling on a KLM flight to Singapore via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. Immigration has since placed both individuals on a travel ban list, preventing them from returning to Indonesia while authorities continue their investigation.
The case has also raised questions about whether the organisers’ activities were consistent with the purpose of their residence permits.
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Registration Process and Public Complaints Under Scrutiny
Public attention intensified after screenshots of the event’s registration form circulated online. The form allegedly asked applicants to state their nationality and whether they were digital nomads or expatriates.
Several Indonesian applicants claimed they received no response after registering, while foreign applicants were reportedly approved more quickly. These accounts led to allegations that the event operated as an exclusive community for foreign residents in Bali.
The Silent Disco Run, held in the Canggu area on 22 July, also drew criticism from local residents. Beginning at approximately 5.30 am WITA, participants ran through public roads wearing wireless headphones while listening to music played by a DJ. Some residents complained that the large group occupied sections of the road, causing disruption in an area already known for heavy traffic.
Following the public backlash, Entourage Bali issued a statement through its official Instagram account apologising for the incident.
The organisers said the rejection of some Indonesian applicants resulted from an error in their automatic approval system, which allegedly rejected several registrations using Indonesian telephone numbers beginning with the +62 country code.
Entourage Bali also stated that Indonesians ultimately made up the largest group among the approximately 120 tickets sold for the event. However, the organisers did not fully explain why nationality, expatriate status or digital nomad status was requested during registration.
In response to the controversy, the community announced that it had temporarily suspended all activities while the matter is being addressed.
