Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced on Sunday that political parties have agreed to revoke several parliamentary perks following a wave of violent anti-government protests that left five people dead and triggered the worst civil unrest the country has seen in decades.
The protests, which erupted on Monday, were sparked by public outrage over what demonstrators described as excessive pay and housing allowances for members of parliament. Tensions escalated on Friday when a rideshare motorcycle driver was killed during a police crackdown at a protest site, igniting riots across several cities.
The violence saw state buildings and the homes of political party members ransacked or set ablaze. The unrest rattled financial markets, with Indonesian stocks and the rupiah suffering sharp declines amid investor concerns.
In a press conference held at the Presidential Palace, President Prabowo, flanked by top political party leaders, confirmed that parliament would scale back a number of benefits enjoyed by lawmakers, including reduced allowances and a moratorium on overseas work trips.
“Leaders in parliament have conveyed that they will revoke a number of parliament policies, including the size of allowances for members of parliament and a moratorium on overseas work trips,” Prabowo said.
He also vowed tough measures against those involved in looting and destruction. “To the police and the military, I have ordered them to take action as firm as possible against the destruction of public facilities, looting at homes of individuals and economic centres, according to the laws,” he said, warning that some acts may amount to “terrorism” or “treason.”
In response to the escalating violence, the military has been deployed to guard the Presidential Palace and key government installations. Military personnel were also seen securing the homes of several ministers.
Despite the government’s concessions, protest leaders have signaled that more demonstrations may be imminent. Muzammil Ihsan, head of the All Indonesian Students’ Executives Body, the nation’s largest student umbrella group, said the response so far was “not enough” and that further action was being considered.
Authorities have not yet identified who is behind the looting and vandalism that followed the initially peaceful protests, which were largely organized by student groups.
