Indonesia has been rocked by a wave of violent protests that erupted this past week, leaving at least three people dead, dozens injured, and government buildings in flames across several provinces. The unrest, triggered by revelations of lawmakers’ generous housing allowances amid economic hardship, has rapidly escalated into a nationwide crisis, testing the resolve of President Prabowo Subianto’s young administration and raising fears about the country’s political stability.
The flashpoint came on Friday, August 29, when demonstrators set fire to the regional parliament building in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province. According to M. Fadli Tahar, acting head of the Makassar Regional Disaster Management Agency, three government workers died after jumping from the third floor to escape the inferno. Others suffered burns and broken bones, with five people hospitalized after leaping from the burning structure, as reported by Sky News and Reuters. The building’s overnight blaze cast an eerie orange glow over the city, a stark symbol of the turmoil engulfing Indonesia.
The violence in Makassar was not isolated. In West Java’s Bandung city, protesters torched another regional parliament building, and in Surabaya, demonstrators stormed the regional police headquarters, destroying fences and setting vehicles alight. Similar scenes played out in cities such as Medan, Solo, Yogyakarta, Magelang, Malang, Bengkulu, Pekanbaru, and Manokwari in Papua, as documented by the Associated Press and local media. Even the tourist island of Bali saw its share of unrest, with hundreds of delivery drivers and students rallying in solidarity and clashing with police wielding tear gas.
What sparked such fury? The protests began in Jakarta on Monday, August 25, following reports that Indonesia’s 580 lawmakers receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah—around $3,075, or nearly ten times the average monthly wage in the capital, according to Reuters and The New York Times. This benefit, introduced the previous year, was widely viewed as excessive and insensitive, especially as many Indonesians struggle with soaring living costs, high unemployment, and rising taxes. Critics, including opposition politicians and activists, lambasted the allowance as a symbol of government disconnect. “The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for exercising their rights,” said Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, as quoted by the New York Post. “No one should lose their lives for exercising their right to protest.”
The situation deteriorated further after a tragic incident on Thursday, August 28. Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old ride-hailing driver and family breadwinner, was killed when an armored police vehicle sped through a crowd of protesters in Jakarta. Witnesses told local television that the vehicle, from the National Police’s Mobile Brigade unit, suddenly accelerated, striking Kurniawan and causing him to fall. His death, captured on video and widely shared on social media, shocked the nation and galvanized the protests, with demonstrators demanding police reform and accountability.
Authorities responded with force. Security forces deployed tear gas and water cannons in multiple cities, while protesters retaliated with fireworks and wooden clubs. By Thursday, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) reported that nearly 1,000 people had been arrested in Jakarta alone, and 25 police officers were hospitalized with serious injuries after being attacked by protesters. The number of injured civilians is believed to be even higher, according to Komnas HAM.
The unrest has also taken a toll on property and livelihoods. Dozens of cars and motorcycles were damaged or set ablaze during the protests, and in one high-profile incident, the Jakarta home of Ahmad Sahroni, a lawmaker from the NasDem party, was looted. Items including household furniture were reportedly stolen. Sahroni, who had faced backlash for dismissing calls to dissolve parliament as “the stupidest people in the world,” became a lightning rod for public anger, as reported by Reuters and Sky News.
President Prabowo Subianto, who took office less than a year ago, now faces his first major political crisis. The protests are a direct rebuke of his government’s policies and, for some, his own controversial past. Prabowo, a former general, was discharged from the military in 1998 for his involvement in the abduction and torture of pro-democracy activists under the Suharto regime. Many Indonesians fear a return to authoritarian tactics, especially in light of the recent police violence. In response to the turmoil, Prabowo canceled a planned trip to China, where he had been invited to attend a military parade, choosing instead to remain in Jakarta and monitor the situation. “The president wants to continue monitoring the situation in Indonesia directly and seek the best solutions,” said presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi in a video statement on Saturday, as quoted by Reuters. Prabowo also visited Kurniawan’s family on Friday, offering condolences and promising an investigation into the young man’s death.
The government has also taken steps to curtail the spread of misinformation, which it blames for fueling the protests. On Saturday, TikTok announced it would suspend its live video feature in Indonesia for a few days, following a meeting with government officials who demanded stronger content moderation. Facebook-owner Meta was also summoned by Jakarta authorities for the same reason. The government maintains that disinformation circulating online has played a significant role in mobilizing demonstrators and inflaming tensions.
International observers have expressed concern about the situation. Foreign embassies in Jakarta, including those of the United States, Australia, and several Southeast Asian nations, have issued warnings to their citizens to avoid protest areas and large public gatherings. Meanwhile, Amnesty International and other rights organizations have criticized the government’s heavy-handed response, calling for the immediate release of those detained solely for exercising their right to protest.
As protests continue for a sixth day, the mood across Indonesia remains tense and uncertain. The demonstrations have laid bare deep frustrations over economic inequality, government transparency, and police accountability. With President Prabowo’s leadership under scrutiny and public anger still simmering, Indonesia faces a pivotal moment—one that will test not just the government’s ability to restore order, but also the nation’s commitment to democracy and civil rights in the decades since the fall of Suharto. How the government responds in the coming days may well shape Indonesia’s political landscape for years to come.