Indonesia Protests Spread (Deaths Reported)
Kanako Mita, Michiyo Tanabe, and Sawako Utsumi
Modern Tokyo Times
Protests persist across Jakarta and other regions of Indonesia, sparked by public dissatisfaction over lavish political allowances and an increasing perception of cronyism under President Prabowo Subianto.
In reaction to the mounting unrest, authorities have mobilized riot police and other elements of the state apparatus to manage the protests, which have been largely led by workers, students, and political activists.
Agence France-Presse reports, “In Jakarta, hundreds of people massed outside the headquarters of the elite Mobile Brigade Corp paramilitary police unit they blamed for the motorcycle gig driver Affan Kuniawan’s death, throwing firecrackers as police responded with teargas.”
In South Sulawesi, three individuals lost their lives after a local parliament building was set on fire. Several others were injured in the incident, which will add to the growing tension in this part of Indonesia.
AP News reports, “The blaze in Makassar, the capital city of South Sulawesi province, began late Friday. Television reports showed the provincial council building ablaze overnight, causing the area to turn an eerie orange color.”
In Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, protesters breached the regional police headquarters after demolishing fences and setting vehicles on fire. In response, security forces deployed tear gas and water cannons, but the demonstrators retaliated with fireworks and other means of self-defense.
Demonstrators have also underscored the pervasive influence of “corrupt elites,” citing opaque agreements between powerful conglomerates and the military. This troubling pattern is not confined to Indonesia alone; it reflects broader global trends, resonating across nations from China to Brazil, and within centers of political power worldwide.
In March, Indonesia enacted a controversial law that significantly broadened the military’s involvement in civilian matters, a development that critics argue represents a regression in democratic accountability. This month, the government further compounded concerns by announcing the establishment of 100 new military battalions, not for defense purposes, but to be trained in agriculture and animal husbandry. This policy shift has prompted significant unease regarding the increasingly indistinct boundaries between military and civilian functions.
CNN news reports, “Nationwide protests began on Monday after reports revealed that all 580 lawmakers received a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) in addition to their salaries. The allowance, introduced last year, is almost 10 times the Jakarta minimum wage.”
In West Papua (not related to the ongoing protests), the persistent persecution of the indigenous Papuan population continues without respite. Predominantly Christian and ethnically distinct from the Javanese majority—who hold dominance in the largely Muslim Indonesian state—the Papuans have endured decades of violence, colonial imposition by Javanese settlers, and the ruthless exploitation of their natural resources. Despite these ongoing challenges, the international community has largely remained passive, with little to no action taken to address or condemn the continued violations of human rights in the region.
Indonesia grapples with numerous internal challenges, ranging from political cronyism to the ongoing systemic repression of the indigenous population in West Papua.
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