Indonesia: Driver’s death sparks nationwide anger; President Prabowo vows probe, warns agitators

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday condemned recent nationwide protests over economic hardship and inequality, warning that some actions amounted to “treason and terrorism.”

Southeast Asia's biggest economy was rocked by demonstrations in major cities, including the capital Jakarta, after footage emerged of a motorcycle taxi driver being run over by a police tactical vehicle at an earlier rally opposing perks for lawmakers, AFP reported.


"The rights to peaceful assembly should be respected and protected. But we cannot deny that there are signs of actions outside the law, even against the law, even leaning towards treason and terrorism," Prabowo said in a speech in Jakarta.

He emphasized that protests should remain peaceful and warned that if individuals destroyed public facilities or looted private homes, "the state must step in to protect its citizens."

Prabowo's remarks followed reports that the residence of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was looted overnight, according to soldiers guarding her home and a witness who spoke to AFP on Sunday.

Anger has also extended to lawmakers, with several reportedly experiencing ransacked homes in recent days. While protesters have multiple grievances, rallies this week focused on the disclosure that lawmakers were receiving housing allowances nearly ten times higher than Jakarta's minimum wage.

At least three people were killed after a fire, ignited by protesters, consumed a council building in the eastern city of Makassar. Two workers died at the scene, and a third individual, a civil servant, succumbed to injuries in hospital. Crowds cheered and clapped as flames engulfed the building, with minimal presence of security forces. Protests have expanded to other major cities, including Yogyakarta, Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya in Java, as well as Medan in North Sumatra province.

On Saturday, a local council building on the island of Lombok and a police headquarters in the eastern Javan city of Surabaya were set ablaze. These protests represent the most significant and violent during Prabowo's presidency, posing a critical test for the ex-general less than a year into his tenure. He has pledged an investigation into the killing of motorcycle gig driver Affan Kurniawan and promised assistance to his family. Seven officers involved in the tactical van incident have been detained for further investigation.

Prabowo urged protests to remain peaceful but said the state would act if public or private property was destroyed. He pledged an investigation into the driver’s death, with seven officers detained.

The crisis marks the most serious challenge of Prabowo’s presidency, less than a year into office, forcing him to cancel a trip to China. TikTok, widely used to spread protest footage, suspended its live feature in Indonesia amid the unrest.