Immigration authorities in Bali have deported an Italian national, identified by his initials EF, who has been accused of illegally running a spiritual guidance business on the island. 

I Putu Surya Dharma, a spokesman from the regional office for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said EF made profit from giving spiritual consultations online, which the foreigner used for daily expenses while in Bali.

Indonesia plans on issuing a regulation that would allow foreign travelers to work while holidaying in the country, one of the country’s top ministers said yesterday. 

“Foreigners who are experts in technology or IT, they [can] work from Bali […] we are already pushing for this.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan has urged other regional governments to take initiative and follow destinations such as Bali in restarting tourism activities, suggesting that the island’s reopening to domestic tourism has yielded “joyful results.

Here’s the thing: Jerinx has been a problematic figure in Indonesia for months, as he touted one conspiracy theory after another on social media amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But criminalizing his mindless rhetoric using the Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE) is a reckless move that further undermines freedom of expression in Indonesia.

Balinese punk rock icon I Gede Ari Astina, who is more commonly known as Jerinx or JRX, has reportedly been detained over a social media post deemed insulting by the Balinese chapter of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI).