Two Youtubers in Bali, Indonesia are to be deported from the country after posting a fake mask prank video.
In the video, Youtuber Josh Paler Lin attempted to see if anyone in a grocery store would notice that his partner Leia Se was not wearing a face mask. Instead, she had a blue face mask painted on the lower part of her face.
As part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, it is mandatory to wear a face mask in public in Bali and has been since August 2020.
Lin appears to have uploaded the video on Facebook on April 16. It was then brought to public attention by Indonesian politician and fashion designer Niluh Djelantik who tagged the Ngurah Rai immigration department in an Instagram post on April 20, urging them to take stern action against Lin and Se.
The duo is to be deported “as soon as possible after they are tested for Covid-19”.
Lin and Se are to be held in a detention cell at the immigration office while waiting for their flight, said Jamaruli Manihuruk, who heads the Bali regional office for the justice and human rights ministry.
“Foreigners who don’t respect the laws and regulations in Indonesia are facing deportation sanctions,” Manihuruk was quoted as saying.
The CNN article quoted a police statement that reportedly stated Lin is from Taiwan and residing in the US, while Se is a Russian citizen.
According to reports, Lin has since removed the prank video which was uploaded on April 22 from his YouTube channel.
Lin has also posted an apology video on Instagram explaining that he made the video with the intention to “entertain people” because of his role as a content creator.
“However, I did not realize that what I did could bring a lot of negative comments from netizens and that it would raise a lot of concerns,” he said.
He vowed to never repeat his mistake and urged others to always wear a face mask for safety.
Indonesia has strict regulations about wearing masks in public. A first offense can result in a fine of 1 million rupiahs (about $70) and foreigners can be deported after a second offense.
Indonesia has previously deported tourists from the country due to actions that violated local Covid-19 guidelines.
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