Bali, Ban | Sending young Norwegians to Bali, but they refuse to answer

On Tuesday this week it became known that Indonesia will introduce a ban on sex outside marriage. Violation of the law can result in up to one year in prison. The new law will apply to both nationals of the country and visiting foreigners, and thus, for example, tourists to Bali could be covered, NTB said on Tuesday.

That same day, Nettavisen began contacting GoStudy, Kilroy and Active Education companies. All three offer year-long studies, courses/bootcamps or compulsory school and university subjects, such as Ex.phil and Ex.fac, in Bali. On Sunday, none of them wanted to answer what they think of the new law, after repeated reminders.

– Travelling

– Since 1999, GoStudy has been offering Exphil/Exfac, Bali, a program known for its skilled faculty and strong student cohesion, writes GoStudy on its pages. The company offers there both PT education, private subjects or compulsory school and university subjects such as Ex.phil and Ex.fac.

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Andrea Nordvik, indicated as general manager, replied via text message to Nettavisen that she would “call a bit” on Tuesday morning. After several unanswered text messages and calls over the next few days, Nordvik said by phone on Friday that he is no longer the general manager of the company, that it has not been updated in the Brønnøysund register, and that the person who is the new general manager and owner “is traveling and not in Norway”. Nettavisen was unable to get in touch with the person concerned.

No answer on the phone

Ola Andre Flem Furseth is the general manager of Active Education. The company offers a one-year study in Bali that provides “a solid foundation whether you want to go straight to work as a personal trainer or want to continue further study in medicine or health sciences,” they write at its pages.

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When Nettavisen calls Furseth’s number from the pages of 1881 on Tuesday, no one answers the phone, nor the next text message. The next day, Furseth’s number is gone from 1881. No text messages are answered and all calls now go straight to voicemail. Nettavisen also tried Active Education’s main number on two occasions, without being able to establish contact with Furseth.

– I don’t want to comment

Kilroy offers three-week courses in, among other things, “web development” and “marketing and social media,” according to them own pages.

When Nettavisen calls sales manager Morten Møllevik on Tuesday morning, shortly after the news from Indonesia becomes known, he’s open to a chat.

– We can certainly do that, says Møllevik, who nevertheless asks to familiarize himself further with the case before making a statement.

An hour later he writes in an e-mail:

– Unfortunately, we do not wish to make a statement in this context.

– I will not speculate

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mathias Rongved tells Nettavisen that anyone planning to travel abroad should familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations that apply in the country they are visiting.

– Feel free to start by downloading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Reiseklar app, which brings together travel information, travel advice and travel records in one place. Remember to take out travel insurance. Remember that travel safety is the individual’s responsibility, Rongved wrote in an email.

He also writes that there is still much uncertainty about the new law. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not want to speculate on how closely it will be followed or how seriously Norwegians should take such a concrete sex ban:

– In the Reiseklar app, we declare, among other things, that the new criminal law recently adopted by the Indonesian Parliament will not come into force before 2025/2026. By then, the Indonesian authorities will draft a series of rules and regulations to implement the law. We cannot speculate on the consequences that the new criminal law will have for Norwegian citizens in Indonesia.

– Understanding of reactions

– We encourage all those studying abroad to familiarize themselves with all the necessary information before travelling, from visas and Lånekassen to familiarizing themselves with the culture, laws and regulations of the country in which they will be studying, says Anna Handal Hellesnes, president of Ansa at Nettavisen.

ANSA is the National Information Center for Study Abroad, the student association for international students and the organization of interest of international students.

The organization sees the legislation as problematic.

– We understand the reactions to these laws. At the same time, it is important for us that students familiarize themselves with the situation in the country and make an informed choice about where they want to study, says Hellesnes.

– For Ansa it is important that Norwegian students can study wherever they want, without restrictions on who they are and their identity. If someone feels that he is not sure where he is studying, he can contact us and get advice from us, he concludes.