Prabowo's Government Under Pressure from Public Protests

TEHRAN (Defapress) -  Indonesia has witnessed widespread protests in Jakarta and other cities in recent days, leading to fires in some local parliament buildings. The unrest is the first major challenge to Prabowo Subianto's government after about a year in power. Due to the intensification of the protests, he canceled his trip to China to participate in the "Victory Day" parade to closely monitor the situation.

The protests have been sparked by various reasons, including the death of Evan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old driver who was run over by a police car, the increase in housing allowances for MPs to 50 million Rupiah (about $3,075), inflation, unemployment, and austerity policies such as cuts to education and health budgets.

Protesters have attacked parliament buildings in cities such as Makassar, Pekalongan, and Cirebon, killing 3 people in a fire in Makassar. In Jakarta, the home of lawmaker Ahmad Sahruni was ransacked. The government has stepped up its surveillance of social media platforms such as TikTok to curb misinformation, and the platform has temporarily suspended its live streaming capabilities.

The protests have presented Prabowo’s government with a major challenge in restoring calm.