FOREIGNERS who have breached Bali’s coronavirus health protocols have been forced to do push-ups, with images of the unusual punishment going viral on social media.

As the photos circulated last week, headlines in several local outlets included the phrase “naughty bule” for those caught not wearing masks properly — or at all.

Bule is an Indonesian word for foreigners, especially Caucasians, and the spots they tend to favor have become a focus for authorities.

Many head to the Badung regency area, where the popular Kuta and Seminyak beaches are located.

Here, local authorities have recorded the highest number of coronavirus health protocol violations in Bali, with 8,864 offenses occurring up to this week.

“Most of the offenses were not bringing their masks, not wearing them properly, and some businesses not applying health protocols,” Badung regency Public Order Agency chief I Gusti Agung Kerta Suryanegara told the ABC.

While many of them were local Balinese, Suryanegara said 80 percent of people who had been fined for violating COVID-19 regulations were foreigners, mostly from Europe.

“Some foreigners were found walking on the beach, sitting in restaurants, and riding motorbikes without masks,” he said.

Suryanegara said foreigners who had been caught seemed to underestimate the strength of health protocols in Bali and those who had been fined were “naughty.” But those who committed minor mistakes, such as bringing their mask but not wearing it, were asked to do push-ups or sweep the street.

“We didn’t fine those who had admitted their mistakes … we didn’t just fine people randomly because they didn’t wear masks,” Suryanegara said.

And although many Australians have been cautioned for not properly wearing masks, none have yet been fined over that. Some, however, were fined because they were “showing resistance” like “talking back,” or not being cooperative, when approached by officers, Suryanegara said.

“I’m not saying that Indonesians are well behaved, but fines were given as the [last resort], which means that [those who were fined] didn’t want to comply and were very defensive,” Suryanegara said.

In September, Bali started fining residents caught without a face mask 100,000 rupiah (US$9).

Overall, the Public Order Agency has recorded more than 15,000 offences in Bali since the mandatory mask rule was introduced.

Suryanegara said so far authorities have gathered US$1,400 from the fines in Badung alone.

According to the country’s National COVID-19 Task Force, the compliance rate for wearing masks in Bali is 96.5 per cent, while maintaining physical distancing is 92 per cent.

That makes the island the highest for compliance with COVID-19 protocols in Indonesia.

(SD-Agencies)