JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has cancelled a planned trip to China as nationwide anger over parliamentarian perks erupted into mob attacks, with protesters storming and looting the homes of senior officials in a dramatic turn of events.
Starting out as demonstrations outside the national parliament in Jakarta on Aug 25, the rallies have evolved into what protesters call “people’s justice”. Enraged crowds have hunted down officials and lawmakers, some of whom have had their home addresses shared online in a wave of doxxing that has transformed simmering resentment into direct action.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was one of the most high-profile targets. In the early hours of Aug 31, mobs forced their way into her residence in the upscale Bintaro district, outside Jakarta. Videos showed protesters smashing property and carrying away valuables - from electronics and paintings to clothing and furniture.
“I was shocked because they forced their way into the housing complex, shouting and causing chaos,” resident Agung was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe. “They took things from the minister’s house. I was afraid they might come into our homes too.”
Already, public anger had been building against Mulyani following a viral deepfake video portraying her as calling teachers a “burden”, alongside her own controversial remarks equating taxes with Islamic alms, or zakat.
Other lawmakers also came under fire. The first house stormed was that of parliamentarian Ahmad Sahroni, notorious for flaunting his fleet of luxury cars. He had earlier labelled Indonesians who demanded that parliament be dissolved as “the dumbest people in the world” and called protesters “jerks”. Online footage showed mobs smashing his sports cars and distributing seized luxury items, including Louis Vuitton handbags and a Richard Mille watch.
Hundreds of protesters also broke into the homes of Surya Utama, a television personality better known as Uya Kuya, and comedian-turned-lawmaker Eko Patrio. Eko’s prized Angora cat was snatched by intruders as crowds livestreamed the looting.
Surya and Eko, who are both members of the National Mandate Party, had apologised on Aug 30 after a video emerged of them dancing during parliament’s Aug 15 session, ahead of Aug 17 Independence Day - behaviour widely derided as tone-deaf amid worsening economic hardship.
In a sombre Instagram video, Surya said: “I sincerely apologise from the bottom of my heart to all Indonesians.”
Eko, who is in his fourth parliamentary term, promised to “be more cautious” and “faithfully uphold my oath as a representative of the people”.
“I fully realise that this situation brings pain to the nation, especially to the families of victims,” Eko added.
But the crowds were undeterred and livestreams of looting have only drawn more people to the scenes.
The raids on residences represent the most dramatic escalation of public anger since demonstrations began on Aug 25 over a new allowances package for lawmakers, which granted them, among other benefits, 50 million rupiah (US$3,042) a month for housing, 12 million rupiah for food, and seven million rupiah for transport, on top of a base salary of 6.5 million rupiah.
Protests intensified on Aug 28 after a 21-year-old delivery and ride-hailing motorbike rider, Affan Kurniawan, was run over by a Brimob police tactical vehicle, sparking arson, clashes with authorities and widespread unrest across several provinces. On Aug 29, the national police confirmed that seven officers had violated the force’s professional code of ethics in the incident and were placed under 20 days of special detention, effective the same day.
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, three others died as protesters set fire to the local parliament building.
President Prabowo has also cancelled a visit to a “Victory Day” parade in Beijing on Sept 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said on Aug 30 that the president also had invitations to the United Nations General Assembly in New York but had chosen to “monitor directly and lead efforts to find the best solutions” at home.
Because of the situation within the country, President Prabowo “wishes to continue to monitor directly, he also wishes to continue to oversee directly, and also to lead directly in order to seek the best solutions”, he told reporters.
“Therefore, President Prabowo Subianto, with humility and with an apology to the Chinese government, has decided that he is not yet able to attend the invitation from the Chinese government,” he added.
Indonesia has a history of street anger erupting into political upheaval - from the fall of Suharto in 1998 to student rallies in 2019 against controversial laws curbing anti-graft powers and penalising extramarital sex.
For many Indonesians, viral images of politicians’ mansions being torn apart have become a potent symbol of frustration at a political class perceived as out of touch with ordinary struggles.
Activist Andreas Harsono, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said he supports the protests but condemned the behaviour of some legislators. He described the unrest as a reflection of deep public anger at politicians and criticised a system in which the MPs are legally more accountable to their party leaders than to their voters.
He noted that at least 37 local parliament buildings have been attacked, some set ablaze, underscoring the scale of the anger.
“I support street protests and am disappointed with the behaviour of some MPs, but no one can take the law into their own hands. The authorities must act firmly against looters,” he told The Straits Times.
Several countries have issued travel warnings for Indonesia amid escalating nationwide protests and looting, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.
The US urged its citizens to avoid crowds and remain alert in tourist areas, while Singapore advised nationals to steer clear of areas where anti-government protests are being held and to avoid large public gatherings.
“You should stay vigilant, monitor developments through the local news and heed instructions by local authorities,” the Singapore embassy posted on its official Facebook page on Aug 30.
In the wake of violent protests and riots, Jakarta and several provinces bear the scars of unrest. Streets once bustling with life are littered with charred vehicles, broken gates, and burnt bus stops. Bottles and sticks lie scattered across the ground.
The parliament building in Makassar now stands as a hollowed-out skeleton, its windows shattered and walls scorched by flame.
Protests, although smaller in number, continued on the night of Aug 30 outside Brimob headquarters and the parliament building. The authorities have been able to keep the situation under control.
ByteDance’s TikTok, which has more than 100 million accounts in Indonesia, has suspended its live feature for the “next few days” following the protests.
“In light of the increasing violence in protests in Indonesia, we are taking additional security measures to keep TikTok a safe and civil space. As part of this measure, we are voluntarily suspending the TikTok LIVE feature for the next few days in Indonesia,” a spokesperson said.
There are fears that current anger could escalate to levels seen during the May 1998 riots, when ethnic Chinese Indonesians were targeted and their homes looted.
Instagram posts by netizens have also emerged, urging others not to damage public property, attack one another, loot shops or small businesses, or spread hoaxes.
An Instagram post by user Liem Ing Fei said: “Do not fall into the trap of people versus authorities. Our real enemies are the DPR and the political elite who remain silent and hidden.”
It added: “Fellow citizens are brothers and sisters, not opponents. Our enemy is an oppressive policy that harms the people.” - The Straits Times/ANN
