Major protests in Indonesia, which can be considered as the worst violence in the nation’s history in over two decades, continue as hundreds of students decide to assemble to oppose the government despite recent concessions.
The event began on August 25 when people assembled to demand the cut of the lawmaker’s salary after there was a proposal to increase parliamentarians’ income, including housing allowance, per month to IDR 100 million (USD 6,150), ahead of the nation’s average income of IDR 3.1 million.
The police and the protesters clashed with each other for several days, but the situation deteriorated on August 29 when a police vehicle killed a motorcycle taxi driver. Several have turned to rioting, with some even burning down Makassar city’s local parliamentary building.
So far, chief economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, confirmed that eight people have died in this unrest. Meanwhile, the Governor of Jakarta, Pramono Anung, stated the protests in the capital had led to injuries of 700 people and damage to infrastructure worth USD 3.4 million.
On Sunday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced that there will be a slice in lawmakers’ perks, but warned of the heavy security presence as they are trying to maintain order. Jakarta’s chief of police stated that over 1,200 protesters had been detained.
Still, hundreds of students chose to continue their demonstration, with one group leader citing that the concession still did not meet their demand as they also seek change in other aspects, such as the reform in the police. However, some groups also choose to delay their protest as they view that the conditions are not suitable.
