JAKARTA – Indonesian students and civil society groups called off protests on Sept 1 after a week of escalating anger over lawmakers’ pay and police response, citing fears of heightened security measures after deadly riots over the weekend.
The protests began in Jakarta a week ago and spread nationwide, growing in size and intensity after a police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle taxi driver on the night of Aug 28.
On Aug 31, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said
political parties had agreed to cut lawmakers’ benefits
in an attempt to calm the protests, which have left at least five people dead.
He also ordered the military and police to take stern action against rioters and looters after homes of political party members and state buildings were ransacked or set ablaze.
The Alliance of Indonesian Women, a coalition of women-led civil society groups, said it had delayed planned protests at the Parliament to avoid any crackdown by the authorities.
“The delay is done to avoid increased violent escalation by (the) authorities… The delay takes place until the situation calms down,” the group said in an Instagram post on Aug 31.
Student groups also delayed a protest on Sept 1, with one umbrella group saying the decision was “due to very impossible conditions”.
It is unclear if other groups will stage demonstrations in Jakarta or other cities on Sept 1, with social media posts from some groups warning of fake protest flyers.
Indonesia’s economy is fundamentally solid, its chief economic minister said on Sept 1 as the stock market slid for a second straight day after widespread protests in the South–east Asian country.
The protests and violence have unsettled financial markets, with the stock market falling more than 3 per cent in opening trades on Sept 1. REUTERS
