A fashionable Bali running group popular among Australian visitors has triggered a major backlash, with its Dutch organisers barred from Indonesia following allegations that local residents were shut out.
Entourage Bali had built a following for its dawn “silent disco” runs around the holiday hotspot, where groups of mostly foreign participants wore glowing headphones while an MC and a mobile DJ played music from the back of a moving ute.
The group’s image unravelled after screenshots, said to show Indonesian hopefuls being turned away because they were locals, spread rapidly across social media and fuelled anger online.
Bali’s Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, publicly criticised the event and said officials would prevent the two foreign nationals linked to it from returning to Indonesia.
“The Bali Silent Disco running event organised by foreign nationals is suspected of violating regulations and being fraught with discrimination against local residents,” he said.
“I have instructed the Bali immigration team to inspect the event organiser and, if any foreign nationals are involved, arrest them immediately.
“Foreigners must not act as though they can establish their own rules and exclusivity within the jurisdiction of Indonesia.”
Immigration authorities referred to the two men only by their initials, JAS, 35, and HQV, 37, though they have been widely identified online as Joost Storms and Hidde van Vliet.
Joost Storms and Hidde van Vliet (pictured) are widely known as the organisers of Entourage Bali which has been embroiled in controversy
They left Bali for Singapore on Wednesday night and have since been placed on Indonesia’s travel ban list.
The controversy exploded after several Instagram accounts shared screenshots purporting to expose the run club’s vetting process, sparking claims Indonesians were being excluded from joining.
One alleged direct message exchange, which has not been independently verified, showed an organiser asking an applicant: ‘By the way, are you Indonesian?’
After the applicant replied ‘Yes, I am’, the organiser allegedly responded: ‘Okay, that explains why you are not accepted. Because it’s an automatic system. And we are a platform for digital nomads.’
Adding fuel to the fire, an Indonesian woman claimed her application to join Entourage Bali was placed under review, while her husband’s application submitted using a Western-sounding name and phone number was approved almost instantly.
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The allegations quickly went viral, triggering widespread backlash and forcing the community to issue a public apology.
‘We are extremely sorry for the people that have been offended and hurt, and we have never meant to be disrespectful or discriminating to anyone,’ Entourage Bali said in a statement.
The group said it was created to help digital nomads connect and socialise while living in Bali and insisted its members came from a wide range of countries, including Indonesia.
Entourage Bali had become known for its early-morning ‘silent disco’ runs (pictured) across the holiday island, attracting crowds of foreigners decked out in headphones
According to the organisers, Indonesians represented the largest nationality group taking part in the silent disco runs and accounted for almost a quarter of all tickets sold.
However, they admitted mistakes had been made with the automated approval process used for their WhatsApp groups.
‘While we were trying to create a place where digital nomads could meet, a bias was created that some (and not all) +62 numbers / Indonesians were incorrectly rejected,’ the statement read.
‘We are pausing all our events and activities for now.
‘We take full accountability for what has happened and promise we will make real changes going forward.’
The controversy comes as Indonesian authorities continue to crack down on foreigners accused of abusing tourist visas while living and working in Bali.
Australia’s Smartraveller website warns travellers to strictly comply with Indonesian visa rules.
‘It’s illegal to work, conduct research or volunteer if you’re on a tourist visa,’ the advice states.
‘This includes creating or posting online content for payment or commercial purposes.
‘Indonesian authorities may consider it a breach of visa conditions if you create content for commercial purposes while you’re on a tourist visa, even if the content is published after you’ve departed Indonesia.’
