A WhatsApp group used for buying and selling secondhand goods in Bali’s coastal village of Amed has become the focus of an online debate after its administrator removed a number of Indonesian members, prompting criticism from both local and foreign participants over the decision.
The discussion gained wider attention after Italian content creator Christian Giacobbe posted a video on social media highlighting the incident and questioning the reasoning behind the removals.
Video Alleges Indonesians Were Removed From the Group
In his video, Giacobbe identified the administrator of the “Garage Sales in Amed” WhatsApp group as Sergey Melnikov and said Indonesian members had been removed from the group.
“This is Sergey, the creator of the Garage Sales in Amed group. At one point, he decided to remove all Indonesians from the group,” Giacobbe said in the video.
Hey Bali News has not independently verified the group’s membership history. This report is based on statements made publicly by those involved, screenshots circulating online, and comments shown in Giacobbe’s video.
The WhatsApp group has been used by residents of Amed, a coastal area in East Bali popular with divers, retirees, digital nomads, and long-term foreign residents, as a marketplace for secondhand furniture, household items, and personal belongings.
Administrator Says the Group Was Created for the Expat Community
Screenshots displayed in the video appear to show a message attributed to Melnikov explaining the decision.
According to the message, the group was originally created for Amed’s expatriate community. As more local Indonesians joined, he wrote that group rules were increasingly being ignored, leading him to remove Indonesian members so that foreign residents would “feel safer.”
The message also stated that members who agreed to follow the group’s rules could be invited back and asked readers not to view the decision as personal.
Hey Bali News has not independently verified the authenticity of the screenshots.
Some Group Members Questioned the Decision
Comments shown in Giacobbe’s video suggest that several members, including foreign residents, disagreed with the removals.
One commenter wrote:
“What? You just removed all Indonesians from the group? Oh my God.”
Another commenter said the group had been useful for both locals and expatriates and questioned whether Indonesian members had been removed simply because they used Indonesia’s +62 telephone country code.
Another person said their Indonesian partner had been removed despite never violating any of the group’s stated rules.
The comments included in the video reflect the views of individual participants and have not been independently verified by Hey Bali News.
Clarification Shared Following Online Criticism
Following criticism online, Melnikov reportedly shared a clarification, again stating that the WhatsApp group had originally been intended as a garage-sale marketplace for Amed’s expatriate community rather than as a general community group.
According to the clarification shown online, he said the purpose of the removals was to preserve the group’s original focus rather than to target Indonesians personally.
The clarification, however, did not end discussion on social media, where some users continued questioning whether removing members based on nationality was an appropriate way to manage a private community.
A Broader Conversation About Community Spaces in Bali
The incident has also prompted wider discussion about how online communities operate in Bali, an island where large international communities live alongside local Balinese and Indonesian residents.
Private messaging groups are generally managed by their administrators, who decide their own membership policies. At the same time, online discussions surrounding this incident have highlighted differing views over how community groups should balance their intended purpose with inclusivity.
For some observers, the debate extends beyond a single WhatsApp group, reflecting broader conversations about coexistence, community, and the evolving relationship between expatriates and local residents in Bali.
Why This Matters
Amed has long been known for its close interaction between international residents and local communities, making the discussion resonate beyond a single messaging platform.
Whether viewed as a disagreement over the purpose of a private group or as a debate about community inclusion, the incident has generated significant online discussion about how increasingly diverse communities in Bali choose to define membership and belonging.
#bulebali | Source: Detik