Police responded to the rally at the parliament complex with tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the crowds. - Photo: Reuters
JAKARTA: Thousands of demonstrators hurled stones and set off firecrackers in Jakarta’s second major protest this week, fueled by increasing public anger over a hefty allowance for lawmakers.
Police responded to the rally at the parliament complex with tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the crowds, which consisted mainly of students. By late afternoon, clashes has spread to a nearby shopping district, where they hurled sharpened bamboo sticks and rocks at the police.
"Parliament must be dissolved. Do not retreat. Our fight is not over,” a protester shouted at the crowd.
The protests add to uncertainty surrounding Indonesia’s economic health. Despite modest inflation averaging around 3% since the pandemic, elevated rice and education prices have sparked discontent over living costs.
Mass layoffs, primarily in the textile industry, have further fueled frustration, leaving many Indonesians feeling overlooked by policymakers in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
Specifically, resentment has been growing over a new housing allowance for Indonesian lawmakers, amounting to 50 million rupiah a month ($3,055) - equivalent to nearly 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta for this year.
Earlier on Thursday (Aug 28), hundreds of workers gathered at the same compound to demand higher wages and lower taxes, dispersing peacefully around lunchtime.
On Monday, a similar rally led the police to fire tear gas and water cannons at hundreds of students and civil group protesters.
Last year, a nationwide protest hit the country’s currency and stock markets and forced lawmakers to abandon proposed changes to election laws.
Property Tax hikes
Frustrations have also been exacerbated by property tax hikes imposed by local governments, a response to President Prabowo Subianto’s budget proposal that shifts more responsibilities to regional authorities while reducing funding.
Earlier this month, a 250% surge in property taxes sparked demonstrations in Pati, Central Java, by tens of thousands of villagers, farmers and laid-off workers.
They tore down fences at the regent’s office, prompting police to respond with water cannons and tear gas, which forced Regent Sudewo to revoke the new policy within days.
A similar backlash erupted in Bone, South Sulawesi, as well as in Cirebon, West Java, where planned increases of up to 1,000% were shelved.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has since instructed local governments to review or cancel such hefty tax hikes.
The unrest outside parliament on Monday has also spilled onto online platforms, drawing scrutiny from regulators.
The Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs plans to summon ByteDance’s TikTok and Meta Platforms Inc. over the spread of defamatory and hate-filled content tied to the protests, which officials claim has undermined democratic institutions.
Vice Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Angga Raka Prabowo said that platforms utilising advanced artificial intelligence should be capable of filtering and removing false or provocative material.
He rejected suggestions that the effort was aimed at curbing free expression, saying, "We are asking platform owners operating in Indonesia to comply with the law.” - Bloomberg
