Water cannons and rubber bullets have been deployed against protesters in Jakarta, while a driver of a motorcycle taxi has been killed in the confusion.
Indonesian accounts on social media claim another 50 people have been injured so far.
The protesters took to the streets following a decision by members of Parliament to grant themselves a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (AU$4,683 or US$3,075), which is almost 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta.
The death was confirmed by the capital’s police chief, Asep Edi Suheri, who said that an armoured police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle rideshare driver.
“As police chief and on behalf of the entire unit, I would like to express my deepest apologies and condolences,” he said in a press conference late on Aug. 28. A motorcycle drivers’ association said the dead man was not involved in the protests.
According to a press release from one student organisation, Gejayan Memanggil, protesters are also concerned about “corrupt elites” within the government, and policies that benefit large businesses and the military.Indonesia’s current president, former General Prabowo Subianto, said in his state of the nation address earlier this month that, since early this year, his administration has identified and saved 300 trillion rupiah (US$18.5 billion) in the country’s budget that would otherwise have been lost to corruption.
This includes domestic and international travel by government officials and even paying for office stationery.
“We are facing the reality of a massive leakage of our nation’s wealth, we are in a net outflow of national wealth condition,” Subianto said. “Therefore, I am obliged to take action even if it is difficult and disliked by certain parties.”
Subianto could theoretically rein in the MPs’ spending on accommodation, but has made no statement on the current situation.
Under his rule, the military has been allowed to play a greater role in daily life, with a law passed in March allowing serving officers to take up more civilian posts.
The government also announced that 100 new battalions would be formed, trained in agriculture and animal husbandry, and that the military will soon start manufacturing pharmaceuticals.
The country has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in Asia. About 16 percent of the more than 44 million Indonesians aged 15 to 24 are out of work, while Prabowo imposes strict austerity measures, including cuts to education, health, and public works.
Subianto called an emergency meeting on Aug. 27, which was attended by the National Police Chief, the Commander of the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI), the Attorney General, and the head of the Special Development Control and Investigation Agency.
Aries Marsudiyanto, head of the Agency, said the president emphasised the importance of safeguarding national stability.
“The president ordered us to maintain the nation’s conduciveness. The government is on the right track, and development programs are running well,” Aries told reporters after the meeting.
He also urged the public, especially students and young people, not to be swayed by unverified information.
“With the presence of artificial intelligence, filtering news is essential. At a time when Indonesia is progressing, there may be parties who do not want to see the nation move forward,” Aries said.
The protesters, mostly clad in dark clothing, have thrown rocks and set off fireworks at riot police as they attempted to break into the parliament building.
Jakarta police spokesperson Ade Ary Syam Indradi told reporters that 1,250 personnel were deployed to maintain security around the building. The protests have caused major traffic disruptions and forced public transport operators to suspend or reroute services across central Jakarta.
A group led by motorcycle taxi drivers protested in front of the headquarters of the riot police on Aug. 28, local media reported. Kompas TV reported that military officers had been dispatched to the building to handle the protesters. There were no reports of injuries at that event.
