Anti-government unrest is escalating across Indonesia, marked by protester fatalities, arson, and looting of politicians’ residences, prompting a forceful response from authorities.
Mass demonstrations, initially ignited in Jakarta on August 25th, stemmed from public discontent over the rising cost of living and perceived excessive compensation for parliamentarians.
The situation intensified into violence by week’s end. On Thursday night, amid escalating clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, a 21-year-old rideshare driver, Affan Kurniawan, was fatally struck by police in Jakarta.
President Prabowo Subianto and the national police chief issued apologies for the incident, yet it further fueled the unrest, which has now spread across the archipelago, from West Java to Bali and Lombok.
As of Monday, at least seven individuals had died during the protests, according to Indonesia’s coordinating minister for economic affairs.
The initial catalyst for the demonstrations was the Indonesian government’s decision to increase allowances for national parliamentarians.
Local media reported last month that parliamentarians were receiving upwards of 100 million rupiah (£4,499; $6,150) monthly—more than 30 times the average national income—including substantial housing allowances.
Simultaneously, everyday Indonesians are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis.
“At a time when citizens are feeling economically insecure, the notion that Indonesia’s already wealthy political class would see their incomes rise filled people with rage, and they spilled onto the streets to express that rage,” Dr. Eve Warburton, director of the Indonesia Institute at the Australian National University, told the BBC.
The protests escalated following Affan’s death, expanding to encompass concerns about police brutality and accountability.
Underlying the public anger are systemic issues such as political corruption, social inequality, and adverse economic conditions from which the wealthy and powerful appear insulated.
“Elites seem cloistered in a life of luxury – as seen in the exorbitant perks received by parliamentarians – grating people’s sense of justice,” explained Vedi Hadiz, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute.
In an effort to quell the nationwide protests, President Prabowo announced on Sunday that several state-funded perks for politicians would be curtailed, including certain allowances.
While protesters welcomed the move, some suggest it does not go far enough.
Herianto, a former central coordinator for the All-Indonesian Students’ Union, told the BBC that the announcement was “a step in the right direction, but it does not address the root causes of discontent.”
“It is not only about one issue, but about long-standing concerns with inequality, governance, and accountability,” he explained. “Symbolic changes are important, but people expect deeper reforms, particularly in areas that affect ordinary citizens such as agricultural policy, education, and fair economic opportunities.”
“The ultimate goal is to push for a more accountable, transparent, and people-centered governance.”
Concurrently with scaling back politicians’ benefits, Prabowo also instructed the military and police to take stronger action against rioters, looters, and arsonists after homes of political party members and state buildings were ransacked and set ablaze.
Protesters torched regional legislative council buildings across multiple Indonesian provinces.
In Makassar, a local parliament building was set on fire, resulting in at least three deaths and several injuries after people reportedly became trapped inside the burning structure.
In Jakarta, angry mobs raided and looted luxury items from the residences of several members of the regional legislative assembly who had previously made unsympathetic remarks regarding protesters’ criticisms of their high salaries.
The unrest prompted Prabowo to cancel a visit to China, vowing to monitor the situation directly and seek a resolution.
TikTok has also suspended its live streaming feature in Indonesia “for the next few days” in an effort to curtail potentially inflammatory content amid concerns about live mass mobilization.
Herianto says the authorities’ overall handling of the situation has been “mixed.”
“On the one hand, there have been some attempts to maintain dialogue, but on the other hand, the use of excessive force has raised concerns,” he said. “Authorities should protect the right to peaceful protest, not suppress it.”
Prabowo’s directive to authorities to intensify crackdowns – including turning off lights in protest areas and using rubber bullets – has further stoked Herianto’s concerns, raising fears of police brutality.
“History has shown us that when the state prioritizes security measures over dialogue, the risk of excessive force and human rights violations increases,” he says.
“We hope the authorities act with restraint and prioritize de-escalation rather than confrontation.”
The future trajectory of the protests remains uncertain – whether they will continue to escalate into further violence and repression or compel the government to concede more ground.
Regardless of the outcome, the situation represents Prabowo’s most significant leadership challenge since assuming the presidency in 2024.
“It’s a major test,” said Dr. Warburton. “Can he placate the protesters and bring an end to rolling demonstrations, while not resorting to excessive state violence or repression? This is the question.”
An ex-special forces commander accused of serious human rights violations, Prabowo reinvented himself through “cute” TikTok videos to win over younger voters.
But many Indonesians remember him as the son-in-law of the military dictator Suharto, who swiftly rose through the ranks of an authoritarian regime.
His victory in last year’s election was met with some unease, and he faced the anger of student protesters over budget cuts to health and education in February this year.
Prabowo certainly knows the power of student protests – they were instrumental in bringing down Suharto’s regime. So how he responds will be critical.
Monday saw a brief lull, as some Indonesian students and civil society groups cancelled protests in Jakarta, citing “impossible conditions” after the authorities escalated security measures in the capital.
Police had set up checkpoints across the city, while officers and the military conducted city-wide patrols and deployed snipers in key locations.
Some experts warn that recent escalations could be the tip of the iceberg, however, as many fundamental economic issues remain unresolved.
It is the depth and breadth of these issues that has given the current anti-government rallies such force, and set them apart from the many others that Indonesians have launched in recent years – making them, in Mr. Hadiz’s views, “among the most significant outbreak of protests since the advent of reformasi.”
That’s a reference to the reforms that followed Suharto’s downfall in 1998, ushering in an era of democracy and stability.
Dr. Warburton also agrees that the significance of these protests is “very different to what we’ve seen over the past two decades.”
“There have been waves of popular protest in recent years, often led by progressive students and activists,” she explained.
“The current demonstrations are different – the grievances run deeper and are likely more broadly felt. The protests reflect people’s sense of economic insecurity and pent-up resentment toward the greed and excesses of their elected officials.”
Even as Prabowo responds to the demands that spurred the demonstrations – winding back parliamentary benefits and launching an investigation into the incident that caused Affan’s death – protest organizers are hoping to seize on the momentum for a broader systemic overhaul.
“This feels significant,” says Herianto. “Social movements often emerge in response to accumulated grievances, and moments like this can become turning points.
“Whether it leads to meaningful change depends on the willingness of leaders to listen and act in the interest of the people, rather than merely defending political or elite interests.”
Additional reporting by BBC Indonesia
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