Towards a wave of protests in Indonesia: tens of thousands arrive in Jakarta
Indonesian security forces have deployed large numbers of personnel in three major cities. Tens of thousands of protesters are calling for an end to the country's "militarization" and demanding the death penalty for corrupt officials. The demonstrations mark the anniversary of last year's violent unrest that left ten people dead.
At least 18,000 police officers were deployed on Thursday near the parliament complex in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, alongside reinforcements in other major cities, according to a report by the Reuters news agency. The extensive security preparations, which included police buses and military trucks on main routes, come against the backdrop of mass protests planned in the capital as well as in the cities of Yogyakarta and Makassar.
In Jakarta, three different protest groups are expected to gather. The first consists of students from several universities who are demanding an end to the free meal program, an end to the "militarization," and lower prices for basic food items. Student representative Khairul Amar noted that the choice to protest on August 27 was made to mark the anniversary of last year's riots, and clarified:
"Today we want to express our aspirations, and not to incite riots."
"The deployment of forces is not intended to suppress freedom of speech," clarified the Coordinating Minister for Security Affairs, Jamari Chaniago. "We will accompany the protesters to ensure that their aspirations can be voiced properly."
Another group leading the protests is the "United Pati Community Alliance," a grassroots organization from Central Java that was behind protests last year against the government's intention to raise property tax by 250%. About two hundred members of the group, dressed in black, began protesting outside the parliament in the morning. They demanded the enactment of an asset forfeiture law that would allow the state to confiscate property obtained through crime, corruption, and money laundering, and even called for the death penalty for those involved. The demand stems, among other things, from the fact that the former mayor of Pati, who led the tax increase, is now on trial for suspected corruption. The group's leader, Supriyono, reported that lawmakers met with their representatives and promised to resign if the law is not passed by December 15 at the latest.
Alongside the protest groups, local media reported that another group is expected to arrive at the parliament complex to hold a demonstration in support of President Prabowo.
The protests are taking place against the backdrop of a sharp drop in satisfaction with President Prabowo Subianto, which fell to 38% in August, according to a survey by the Indonesian network "Tempo." Subianto's administration is under increasing pressure due to expensive populist programs that have raised concerns among investors and the public. A major source of public resentment is the free meal program led by the president, which suffers from governance problems, cases of mass food poisoning, and legal challenges.
This wave of protests marks the anniversary of violent demonstrations that broke out in the country in August last year, in which ten people were killed, about 7,000 were arrested, and hundreds were tried, occurring against the backdrop of what protesters called excessive salaries and housing grants for lawmakers in parliament.
