Indonesia's immigration authorities have banned two Dutch nationals for organising an illegal running event that had also allegedly discriminated against locals.
The run organised by the expatriate-focused group Entourage Bali drew heated backlash after testimonies circulated online that the club had appeared to reject Indonesian applicants while accepting foreigners.
The two Dutchmen aged 35 and 37, left Bali for Singapore before the ban was announced. They will not be allowed back to Indonesia, authorities said.
Bali, Indonesia's famed tropical paradise, has become a hostspot for digital nomads in recent years, resulting in growing tensions in recent years between expats and locals.
The allegations of discrimination against Entourage Bali's run club has reignited anger at foreigners who are perceived to be acting with entitlement and building exclusive communities on the island.
On Sunday, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster vowed to take "strict action" to ensure such incidents do not happen again.
Immigration authorities said the two Dutch men had violated immigration laws by organising the running event without obtaining permits.
In a statement posted on Friday, Entourage Bali said that its run clubs were "open for everyone, including non-digital nomads".
Indonesians made up the largest group of participants, holding nearly 25% of the tickets, it said.
It pointed to "errors in the automated approval process" for its chat groups, which "incorrectly rejected" some numbers registered in Indonesia.
"Entourage was created as a community for digital nomads in Bali to help people who are new to the island connect with others and do fun activities together during their stay," the statement said.
“Being a digital nomad is not defined by nationality. Our community includes members from many countries, including Indonesia.”
Entourage Bali said it was pausing all its events for now and "promise we will make real changes going forward".
The group had successfully held a run in May, with social media posts showing a crowd, comprising many foreigners, jogging on the streets with headphones. The event was advertised as a "disco run".
But after Entourage Bali announced registration of a run scheduled for 22 July, accusations started swirling online that the club's organisers favoured foreigners over locals.
One woman claimed in a social media post that her application to join the community was delayed because of her Indonesian name and number, while her husband with a Western name and number was accepted immediately.
Authorities have vowed to crack down on foreigners illegally engaging in commercial activities on the island.
"There should not be a state within a state," Indonesia's immigration chief Hendarsam Marantoko told reporters last week.
"We consider this running club to be functioning as a 'state within a state," he said.
Source: BBC
– Agencies
