Indonesia Protests , Indonesia’s deadly protests paused but deep resentment remains. Here’s what to know
Indonesia Protests,
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| Indonesia Protests |
Indonesia’s worst wave of violent protests in years seems to have come to a pause for now after the government ordered the military and police to take stern action against rioters and looters.
Some students and civil society groups called off their protest on Monday, citing fears of heightened security measures imposed after deadly riots across the country on the weekend, Reuters reported. But hundreds still gathered in universities in Bandung, West Java despite threats of police raids, according to local media reports.
At least eight people have been killed in the protests, which began peacefully over controversial housing perks for lawmakers but erupted on Thursday when an armored police vehicle hit and killed a rideshare driver, Reuters reported.
The unrest escalated over the weekend as thousands of protesters across the sprawling archipelago set fire to legislative buildings and looted parliamentarians’ homes.
The Indonesia National Police arrested 3,195 people across the country, including 1,240 people in the capital Jakarta, government-run news agency Antara reported.
Economic and political frustration has been brewing for months under the leadership of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October and was forced to cancel a planned trip to China this week to deal with the turmoil.
Though Prabowo made concessions after days of deadly protests, deep discontent over his policies is yet to be addressed.
