How the death of a delivery driver lit Indonesia

The protesters were killed, buildings were burned down and the houses of politicians plundered, as anti -government excitement spreads to Indonesia – and authorities respond with force.

The mass demonstrations, fueled by the woes of life and public impotence by the political elite, first broke out in Jakarta on August 25, to condemn what many consider as excessive pay and housing for parliamentaries.

At the end of the week, things had been violent. On Thursday night, after escalating clashes between protesters and authorities, Jakarta police ran and killed 21-year-old motorcycle driver Afan Kurnyavan.

President Prabovo Subinto and the police chief apologized for his death – but this nourishes additional dissatisfaction, which is now spread at different angles of the archipelago, from West Java to Bali and Lombok Islands.

At least seven people have been killed in protests until Monday, according to Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs in Indonesia.

The main trigger for the protests was the decision of the Indonesia government to raise national parliamentarians.

Local media last month reported that over 100 million Rupees had been paid ($ 4,499 British pounds; $ 6,150) a month – more than 30 times more than average national income – including significant housing assistance.

Meanwhile, daily Indonesians were fighting because of a cost crisis.

“As the government is taking measures for strict savings and at a time when citizens feel economically uncertain, the notion that the already rich political class of Indonesia will see that their incomes are rising, they have fulfilled people with rage, and they have been in the streets to express this rage,” says Dr. BBC.

These protests have stopped after Afan’s death and have since grown to cover issues of police brutality and accountability.

But there are other systematic problems that drive public anger: political corruption, social inequality and economic winds, of which the rich and powerful seem unfairly isolated.

“The elites look closed in luxury – as can be seen in excessive bonuses derived from parliamentarians – the sense of justice of people about justice,” explained Vedi Hadiz, Professor of Asian Research at Asia Institute in Melbourne.

In an attempt to suppress national protests, President Praboovo announced on Sunday that several state -funded profits given to politicians will be re -established, including the size of some allowances.

While this move was greeted by protesters, some suggest that it is not far enough.

Herianto, a former Central Coordinator of the All-Indonesian Student Union, told the BBC that the message was “step in the right direction but is not involved in the root causes of dissatisfaction”.

“It’s not just one question, but also about many years of concerns about inequality, management and accountability,” he explained. “Symbolic changes are important, but people expect deep reforms, especially in areas that affect ordinary citizens such as agricultural policy, education and fair economic opportunities.

“The ultimate goal is to insist on a more responsible, transparent and human-oriented management.”

At the same time, since the benefits of politicians, Prabo, also ordered the military and police to take more strong action against rebels, robbery and arson after the homes of the members of the political party and state buildings were distracted and lit.

Protesters burned the buildings of regional legislative councils in numerous Indonesian provinces.

In the city of Makasar, the local parliamentary building was set on fire, killing at least three people and injuring several others, after reporting people trapped in the burning building.

In the meantime, in Jakarta, the angry mafia attacked and plundered luxury objects from the homes of several members of the regional legislative assembly, who had previously made unsympathetic remarks about protesters who criticized their high salaries.

The differences prompted Prabowo to cancel a visit to China, promising to directly monitor the situation and find a solution.

Tiktok also stopped its live streaming function in Indonesia for the next few days, in an attempt to limit the potential inflammatory content of the background of concerns about the mobilization of the mass mass.

Herianto says that the processing of the authorities of the situation is generally “mixed”.

“On the one hand, there are some attempts to maintain dialogue, but on the other, the use of excessive force has caused fears,” he said. “Authorities must defend the right to a peaceful protest, not suppress it.”

Prabo’s instruction to authorities to strengthen repression – including the exclusion of lights in protest zones and the use of rubber bullets – further pledged Herrians’ concerns, raising concerns of police brutality.

“History has shown us that when the state prioritizes the security measures regarding dialogue, the risk of excessive power and violations of human rights is increasing,” he says.

“We hope that the authorities will act with restriction and prioritize de -escalation, not confrontation.”

It is unclear where the protests will go from here – whether they will continue to rotate in more violent violence and repression, or to force the government to give more grounds.

But whatever the result is, the situation has been the most serious challenge for Prabovo’s leadership since I became president in 2024.

“This is a major test,” said Dr. Worberton. “Can he put the protesters and put an end to mobile demonstrations while not resorting to excessive state violence or repression? That’s the question.”

Former Special Forces Commander, accused of serious human rights violations, is rediscovered by Tictac’s “Sweet” videos to win younger voters.

But many Indonesians remember him as a son -in -law of the military dictator Sharto, who quickly rose through the ranks of authoritarian regime.

His victory in the election last year was greeted with some concern, and he faced the anger of student protesters because of the abbreviations of the health and education budget in February this year.

Prabo certainly knows the power of student protests – they played an important role in the overthrow of the Shuharo regime. So how he reacts will be crucial.

On Monday, there was a brief silence, as some Indonesian students and civil society groups canceled protests in Jakarta, citing “impossible conditions” after authorities escalated the security measures in the capital.

Police have set up checkpoints across the city, while officers and military held patrols throughout the city and have sniper at key places.

Some experts warn that recent escalations may be the tip of the iceberg, but many major economic issues remain unresolved.

It is the depth and width of these problems that have given the current anti-government rallies such a force and separates them from the many others that the Indonesians have started in recent years, by making them, according to Mr Hadiz’s views, “among the most significant hearth of the protests after the advent of reforms.”

This is a reform to the reforms that followed the fall of Shuharo in 1998, introducing into the era of democracy and stability.

Dr. Worberton also agrees that the importance of these protests is “very different from what we have seen in the last two decades.”

“In recent years, there have been waves of a popular protest, often led by progressive students and activists,” she explained.

“The current demonstrations are different-the plaques are getting deeper and are likely to be more widely felt. The protests reflect the sense of economic uncertainty of people and the outrage at the greed and excess of their chosen employees.”

Even when Prabovo responds to the demands that prompted the demonstrations – winding the parliamentary benefits of parliament and began an investigation into the incident that caused the death of Afan – the protest organizers hope to take advantage of the inertia for a wider system major overhaul.

“It feels significant,” Herria says. “Social movements often occur in response to accumulated complaints and moments, which can become turning points.

“Whether this leads to a meaningful change depends on the desire of leaders to listen and act in the interest of people, not just to protect political or elite interests.”

Additional BBC Indonesia reporting