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JAKARTA, Aug 31, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Indonesia cut financial perks for lawmakers 
on Sunday, after at least five people were killed in protests against 
economic hardship that have escalated into anger against police.

Southeast Asia's biggest economy was rocked by protests in major cities in 
recent days after footage spread of a motorcycle taxi driver being run over 
by a police vehicle at a rally against lucrative perks for lawmakers.

"The parliament leadership conveyed that they would revoke several policies, 
including the amount of allowance for lawmakers, and a moratorium on overseas 
visits," President Prabowo Subianto said, without specifying which allowance 
he was referring to.

The ex-general said protests should take place peacefully and if people 
destroyed public facilities or looted private homes "the state must step in 
to protect its citizens".

"The rights to peaceful assembly should be respected and protected. But we 
cannot deny that there are signs of actions outside the law, even against the 
law, even leaning towards treason and terrorism," Prabowo said in a speech in 
Jakarta.

Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin later said military and police would 
take "firm action" against "rioters and looters" who entered private homes or 
state institutions.

Their comments came after the house of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati 
was looted overnight, soldiers guarding her residence and a witness told AFP 
on Sunday.

Anger has spread to lawmakers and several have reportedly had their houses 
ransacked in recent days.

The grievances of protesters are many but rallies before the driver's death 
this week focused on the revelation that lawmakers were receiving a housing 
allowance nearly 10 times higher than the minimum wage in Jakarta.

Rights groups said Prabowo's speech and the olive branch from parliament did 
not go far enough.

"The president's statement was insensitive to all the complaints and 
aspirations that the people were voicing during the demonstrations," Amnesty 
International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid said in a statement.

"The state should respond demands from various groups of people with a series 
of comprehensive policy changes."

- Major test -

Protests have spread from capital Jakarta to other major cities, including 
Yogyakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya in Java, and Medan in North 
Sumatra province.

At least three people were killed after a fire Friday started by protesters 
at a council building in the eastern city of Makassar.

Another victim died in Makassar on Friday after he was beaten by mob on 
suspicion that he was an intelligence officer, local disaster agency official 
Muhammad Fadli Tahar told AFP on Sunday.

A local council building was burned on the island of Lombok on Saturday while 
a police headquarters in the eastern Java city of Surabaya was set on fire.

In response to the protests, social media app TikTok on Saturday temporarily 
suspended its live feature for "a few days" in Indonesia, where it has more 
than 100 million users.

Some institutions were anticipating protests to continue on Monday. One 
international school said its classes would take place online until Tuesday 
and civil servants working in Jakarta were asked to work from home.

A Jakarta police spokesperson in remarks aired by broadcaster Kompas TV said 
patrols would be carried out in the capital to "protect" citizens and give a 
sense of security.

The protests are the biggest and most violent of Prabowo's presidency, a key 
test less than a year into his rule.

He pledged an investigation into the killing of motorcycle gig driver Affan 
Kurniawan and promised to help his family. Seven officers in the tactical van 
were detained for further investigation.

Analysts said his speech could provide a "temporary calming effect" among 
political elites but not the wider public.

"On the ground frustrations over economic hardship and perceived government 
privileges remain," said Dedi Dinarto, senior associate at public policy 
advisory firm Global Counsel.

"Unless those deeper concerns are addressed, the speech alone is unlikely to 
fully diffuse the unrest."

The crisis has forced Prabowo to cancel a planned trip to China next week for 
a military parade commemorating the end of World War II.

Prabowo has pledged fast, state-driven growth but has already faced protests 
against widespread government budget cuts.