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Bloomberg

Agence France-Presse

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has criticised the police for their handling of unrest in the capital, as elsewhere in the country at least three people died in a fire started by protesters.
The protests – initially over increased allowances for lawmakers at a time of economic uncertainty for many Indonesians – were fuelled by anger over the death of a motorcycle taxi driver struck by an armoured vehicle during clashes on Thursday evening.
They have mostly been concentrated in Jakarta although there have been rallies across the country.
At least three people were killed by a fire started by protesters at a council building in eastern Indonesia’s Makassar city, a local official said on Saturday, with four people injured.
Protesters set ablaze regional parliament buildings in three provinces during continuing demonstrations on Saturday.
Parliamentary buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan city in Central Java and Cirebon city in West Java were set on fire by protesters, local media reported.
Detik.com said the protesters looted parliament’s office equipment in Cirebon while police shot tear gas to disperse them in Pekalongan and West Nusa Tenggara.

Prabowo urged calm and singled out the police as he sought to defuse the demonstrations, which represent the biggest test of his presidency and have unnerved investors. The rupiah and Indonesian stocks fell on Friday.
The president’s term has been marked by periods of unrest since he took office in October, as Prabowo struggles to deliver on his sweeping promises to improve the lives of the Indonesian people. In February, students and civil society groups protested against his state budget revamp that threatened contract workers’ jobs, rolled back scholarships and even dimmed the lights at government offices.
In his first remarks since the protests erupted earlier in the week, Prabowo criticised the police over the death of the taxi driver and promised to hold officers accountable. Thousands had rallied on Thursday to oppose the increased allowances for lawmakers and demand a rise in the minimum wage.
“I am shocked and disappointed by the excessive actions of the officers,” Prabowo said in a televised address. He also called on Indonesians to remain calm and be vigilant against “elements that always want to cause unrest and chaos”.
Prabowo is expected to travel to China to join other leaders at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. That gathering starts on Sunday.
In Makassar, protests on Friday descended into chaos outside the provincial and local city council buildings, which were both set on fire. Three people were killed as a result of the fire at the Makassar city council building.
“They were trapped in the burning building,” said Rahmat Mappatoba, secretary of the city council, adding that two of the victims were staff at the local council and another was a civil servant.
“This is beyond our prediction, usually during a demonstration, protesters only threw rocks or burn a tyre in front of the office. They never stormed into the building or burned it.”

The fire has since been extinguished. Hundreds of people were seen in footage posted by local media cheering and clapping as fire engulfed the building with few security forces in sight.
Indonesian stocks closed 1.5 per cent lower on Friday, while the rupiah lost 0.9 per cent – the worst performers in Asia. Yields on 5- and 10-year government bonds saw their biggest jumps in months, soaring 8.5 basis points and 7.7 basis points, respectively. The central bank said it was ready to intervene to stabilise the currency and ensure it trades according to fundamentals.
More than 1,000 university students, motorcycle taxi drivers and workers gathered in front of the Jakarta police headquarters on Friday evening despite heavy rain. Police used tear gas to try to disperse the crowd, while protesters threw back bottles and firecrackers and burned barriers on the street. They shouted: “The police are killers!”
Organisers said they were demanding the removal of the police chief.
In an unusual development, members of the military and navy were deployed at several protest sites. Protesters were seen cheering on the soldiers when they arrived, with some even taking selfies with them.
The events on Friday appeared to illustrate a divide in public trust between the police and the military, which Prabowo, an ex-general, has supported.
Indonesia has maintained steady 5 per cent economic growth over the past decade but frustration is mounting among workers over job cuts in the manufacturing sector. More than 42,000 workers were officially laid off in the first half of this year, up 32 per cent from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Manpower. Analysts say the actual number is likely to be much higher.

Those cuts are eroding the income of an already shrinking middle class and come as Prabowo pledges to create jobs. Consumers held back spending while corporate earnings were down last quarter.
Public anger has also been fuelled by a new monthly allowance of 50 million rupiah (US$3,040) for members of parliament, nearly 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta this year. It comes alongside an already rising budget for the House of Representatives of 9.9 trillion rupiah for each of the next two years, up 68 per cent from 2024.
The unrest has heightened concerns about Prabowo’s ability to manage dissent. Rights groups have warned he needs to make sure those responsible for the death at the protest site are held accountable. Police have apologised and are investigating the seven officers who were inside the vehicle that hit the taxi driver.


Several government meetings set for Friday were cancelled, including the Finance Ministry’s monthly budget briefing and a separate national inflation coordination meeting where Prabowo was due to speak. Many companies instructed their employees to work from home, while major roads in the capital were closed.
The recent protests in Jakarta “have increased volatility in Indonesia’s markets”, said Shier Lee Lim, lead currency and macro strategist at Convera Singapore. “The rupiah, equities and bonds have all come under pressure as investors reassess the risks of heightened policy uncertainty and social unrest.”
“This is a severe issue,” said Kevin O’Rourke, principal at Jakarta-based consultancy Reformasi Information Services. “Prabowo is on a collision course with student demonstrators and financial markets for that matter.”
Additional reporting by Reuters


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The president’s comments came as public anger grows and the death toll climbs from Indonesia’s unrest over economic woes


The president’s comments came as public anger grows and the death toll climbs from Indonesia’s unrest over economic woes.


Prabowo Subianto

Protests around the world

Singapore

Indonesia protest fire kills 3 as Prabowo condemns ‘excessive’ police actions

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The president’s comments came as public anger grows and the death toll climbs from Indonesia’s unrest over economic woes

The president’s comments came as public anger grows and the death toll climbs from Indonesia’s unrest over economic woes