Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Usra Harahap
Indonesian political parties have agreed to reverse some state-funded perks their politicians receive in a bid to quell nationwide protests, the country’s president has said.
Several cities in the southern Asian nation including the capital, Jakarta, have been gripped by anti-government demonstrations in the past week that have at times led to clashes between protesters and police.
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While the protests have been fuelled by a wide range of issues – including the death of a ride-sharing driver – one core complaint concerns a new monthly allowance for lawmakers.
President Prabowo Subianto announced on Sunday that several perks would be reined in, including the size of some allowances.
The Indonesian leader – who has already had to cancel a trip to China over the unrest – said some demonstrations had gone beyond what was considered peaceful and may amount to “treason and terrorism”.
He added that he had ordered the police and armed forces to take strong action against looting and property damage.
The home of Indonesia’s finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was among several targeted by looters on Sunday, news agency AFP reports.
The protests have primarily centred on an increase of 50 million rupiah ($3,030; £2,250) in parliamentarians’ allowances – almost 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta.
But they escalated after Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old ride-sharing driver, was run over by a police vehicle during a demonstration in the capital on Thursday.
The incident inflamed tensions and prompted accusations that police were using excessive force to deal with protesters. Seven officers were found to have violated a professional ethics code and an investigation into the incident has been launched.
Ride-hailing and delivery drivers in Indonesia have long argued that their pay and conditions are unfair. The death of one of their own brought shows of solidarity amongst their ranks.
Prabowo and the chief of police both issued public apologies for the incident, with the president saying he was “shocked and disappointed” by the officers’ actions.
Three people were killed after protesters set fire to a regional parliament building on Friday evening.
Over the weekend protests continued, with police in central Jakarta firing tear gas to disperse crowds on the streets, while some demonstrators throwing Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at a police compound.
