A deadly fire set by an enraged mob consumed the South Sulawesi provincial parliament building in Makassar late Friday, killing three people and hospitalizing five others with severe burns or injuries from leaping out of the burning structure, local officials reported. The blaze, which painted the night sky an eerie orange, marked a violent escalation in Indonesia’s ongoing protests against lavish parliamentary allowances.
The unrest began Monday in Jakarta, triggered by public outrage over a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (USD 3,075) granted to all 580 lawmakers, on top of their salaries. This allowance, implemented last year, is nearly ten times Jakarta’s minimum wage, fueling anger amid rising living costs, high taxes, and growing unemployment. The protests, initially centered in the capital, have spread to cities like Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, Solo, Yogyakarta, Magelang, Malang, Bengkulu, Pekanbaru, and Manokwari in Papua.
In Bandung, West Java, protesters set fire to another regional parliament building on Friday, though no casualties were reported. In Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, demonstrators stormed the regional police headquarters, torching vehicles and destroying fences. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons, while protesters retaliated with fireworks and wooden clubs. By Saturday, calm had partially returned to Jakarta, where authorities cleared debris from burned cars, police stations, and bus shelters.
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The protests took a tragic turn after the death of 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan during a Jakarta rally on Thursday. Social media footage, widely circulated and verified by local media, showed an armored vehicle from the National Police’s Mobile Brigade unit striking Kurniawan, who was reportedly delivering food when caught in the chaos. Witnesses claim the vehicle ran him over without stopping, igniting nationwide outrage and intensifying demands for accountability. Seven brigade members linked to the incident are now detained and under investigation, authorities confirmed.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) reported 951 arrests in Jakarta alone by Thursday, with at least 25 police officers hospitalized due to injuries sustained in clashes. Komnas HAM estimates the number of injured civilians is significantly higher, though exact figures remain unclear. Amnesty International condemned the government’s response on Saturday, accusing it of stifling free speech through aggressive crackdowns. “No one should die for protesting,” said Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, urging the immediate release of those detained for exercising their rights.
The protests highlight deep public frustration with economic inequality and perceived government excess. Many Indonesians view the lawmakers’ allowances as a symbol of elite disconnect in a nation grappling with financial hardship. As demonstrations continue, authorities face mounting pressure to address both the economic grievances and the violent response to public dissent.
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