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n the wake of Hong Kong’s arrest of two Indonesian comedians for violating their visas, a Foreign Ministry official is warning that too many people from this country have not yet learned the rights and responsibilities they have when they travel abroad.

The two entertainers from East Java, Yudo “Cak Yudo” Prasetyo and Deni “Cak Percil” Afriandi, arrived in Hong Kong on Feb. 2 with tourist visas and two days later were detained by immigration officers for performing for pay for Indonesian immigrants.

“The two comedians are accused of violating Hong Kong’s law on immigration because they received payment from entertaining in an event,” said the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s citizen protection director, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, on Thursday.

He said the event was held by an Indonesian migrant worker community, so officers also held and interrogated the organizer, who was released with an obligation to regularly report to the Hong Kong immigration office.

Cak Yudo and Cak Percil are currently detained in the Lai Chi Kok Reception Center to await trial in March, Iqbal said.

“Such a case is common in Hong Kong. Many Indonesians there […] take the free-visa policy for granted. Meanwhile, the regulation cannot be applied for all purposes,” said Iqbal, adding that it was only meant for tourism.

He said many Indonesians did not know that different activities overseas required different visas and so Indonesian societies in foreign countries often invited speakers or performers without obtaining work visas for them.

“It was common that many parties came [to Hong Kong], for example, to give sermons,” Iqbal said. “Hong Kong authorities used to be permissive, but they have been conducting inspections lately.”

Iqbal said the Foreign Ministry still had to better publicize travelers’ responsibilities to all effected people, including those with little education as they usually lacked access to such information.

He said the Indonesian Consulate General had been giving the comedians legal assistance.

“We would expose their absence of knowledge in the trial,” said Iqbal, adding that they would probably be deported.

Separately, comedian-turned-lawmaker Eko Patrio called on the ministry to make people more aware of the functions of a visa.

“These comedians are from small cities in East Java. In their mind, a tourist visa was enough to do any activities,” he said. Eko said he and others from the Indonesian Comedy Artists Union would meet with Foreign Deputy Minister AM Fachir on Friday.

“I personally wish that these comedians do not have to wait until March to get home,” he said. “I am willing to pay a fine with my own money as long as they can get deported as soon as possible.”