Riot police in Indonesia have used water cannon and teargas against thousands of protesters angered by lavish parliamentary allowances, as austerity measures bite.
Demonstrators gathered outside parliament in Jakarta on Monday to oppose a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) for MPs – nearly ten times the city’s minimum wage. The protesters, including students and workers, called for the abolition of what they termed excessive perks for lawmakers.
Anger also extended to what protest groups described as “corrupt elites” and the expanding role of the military in civilian life under President Prabowo Subianto, a former general. Recent laws have allowed the military to take on more civilian posts, and the government has announced new battalions.
Police blocked roads and deployed over 1,200 security personnel, while protesters threw stones and bottles, and set fires. The protests follow similar demonstrations in Central Java and Sulawesi over property tax hikes, and analysts say they indicate growing dissent towards Prabowo’s government.
