Violent antigovernment protests against a range of cost-of-living issues have roiled Indonesia, and anger boiled over after the killing of a motorcycle taxi driver who was hit by a police vehicle during a demonstration in the capital Jakarta.
In a recorded video address on Friday, President Prabowo Subianto called for calm and asked the people to “trust the government and my leadership”.
Yet, protesters pelted the headquarters of the police mobile brigade and set fire to a five-storey building near the police compound in the Kwitang neighbourhood of central Jakarta.
Despite heavy rains, demonstrations continued into the evening, in the greatest test for Prabowo’s presidency since taking office in October.
Here is what you need to know about the ongoing unrest:
What are the protesters’ grievances?
The riots are the culmination of months of economic and political frustration.
They follow reports that 580 parliamentarians receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,000) in addition to their salaries. The allowance, introduced last year, is almost 10 times the Jakarta minimum wage and about 20 times the monthly minimum wage in poor areas of the country.
Police and members of parliament are widely perceived as being corrupt by the populace of more than 280 million people.
Gejayan Memanggil, one of the groups organising the protest, said that demonstrators were calling for a salary cut for parliamentarians, whom he described as “corrupt elites”.
At the same time, protesters claim taxes and inflation are making life impossible for many. Organisers have been demanding that the minimum wage be raised in accordance with the inflation rates.
Prabowo, a former military general, campaigned on the promise of taking economic growth to 8 percent within five years and making Southeast Asia’s largest economy attractive for investments.
But observers have dismissed his pledge as too ambitious, and President Donald Trump’s tariffs on US trading partners have added to the uncertainty.
What has happened?
Nationwide protests began on Monday, when black-clad demonstrators threw rocks and set off fireworks at riot police as they attempted to break into Indonesia’s parliament building.
Public unrest continued the following days, but on Thursday, a video on social media showing the death of the motorcycle taxi driver shocked the nation and spurred more violence against security forces.
Affan Kurniawan, 21, was reportedly completing a food delivery service order when an armoured police vehicle ran into him outside Indonesia’s House of Representatives as riot police dispersed crowds.
Protesters marched to the headquarters of the police mobile brigade in the capital Jakarta on Friday, and some destroyed traffic signs and other infrastructure, causing traffic to come to a standstill in the area.
As night fell, the clashes continued and quickly rippled in Jakarta and beyond, with tear gas lingering in the air and protesters refusing to disperse.
In Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, protesters stormed the governor’s office compound after destroying fences and setting fire to vehicles. Security forces fired tear gas and used water cannon, but demonstrators fought back with fireworks and wooden clubs.
Demonstrations also took place in other cities across the country, including Surabaya, Solo, Yogyakarta, Medan, Makassar, Manado, Bandung and Manokwari in the easternmost Papua region.
What could happen next?
Indonesia’s general-turned-president has called for a “thorough and transparent investigation” into Kurniawan’s death.
This will be a test for Prabowo’s administration, amid a steep selloff in Indonesia’s stocks, which closed at 1.5 percent on Friday, while the rupiah slid 0.8 percent against the US dollar.
A further economic downturn could add fuel to the fire as Prabowo tries to assuage the population.
Upon being elected, Prabowo promised to “work democratically”, but warned that he would not shy away from taking “decisive action” if needed. Critics and opposition leaders have expressed concern that the former general might resort to autocratic means to remain in power.
The post Why are antigovernment protests taking place in Indonesia? appeared first on Al Jazeera.
