Antigovernment protests in Indonesia have spread nationwide, prompting President Prabowo Subianto to cancel his scheduled visit to China next week.
On the 30th (local time), Reuters reported this, citing the Indonesian presidential office. President Prabowo was scheduled to attend the Victory Day parade in Beijing, China, on the 3rd of next month.
Since September of last year, large-scale protests have erupted in Indonesia as reports have emerged that 580 members of the House of Representatives received a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (about 4.3 million won) each. The 50 million rupiah is equivalent to 10 times the minimum wage in the capital, Jakarta.
The protests, which began in Jakarta on the 25th, have intensified following the incident in which motorcycle delivery driver Apan Kurniawan, 21, was crushed by a police armored vehicle on the 28th. Witnesses claimed to local media that the police riot squad's armored vehicle suddenly charged at the protesters and did not stop even after hitting Kurniawan.
The protests are now spreading to other cities, including Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Papua. In particular, in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, it was reported that the protesters set fire to a local council building, resulting in 3 people trapped inside dying and 5 others being injured. Indonesian police are also responding with water cannons and tear gas.
As the protests spread nationwide, President Prabowo visited Kurniawan's parents' home to express condolences and promised compensation for the victims. The Associated Press reported that authorities detained 7 members of the police's riot squad for questioning regarding the delivery driver's death, but it is still unclear who was driving the armored vehicle.
As the protests escalated, TikTok announced it would temporarily suspend its live broadcast feature for several days due to 'violent protests' in Indonesia. A TikTok spokesperson noted to AFP that this action was a 'voluntary and additional safety measure.'