Jakarta, Indonesia –
Nationwide protests have shaken Indonesia just days before President Prabowo Subianto was scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in China and observe the Victory Day Parade on September 3.
The unrest began on August 25, when demonstrators—many of them university students from Yogyakarta—clashed with police outside parliament in Jakarta. Protesters, dressed in dark clothing, hurled rocks and set off fireworks as they attempted to storm the legislative complex.
Organizers, including the grassroots group Gejayan Memanggil, demanded parliamentarians accept pay cuts. According to local media, lawmakers currently receive salaries exceeding 100 million rupiah ($6,150) per month, alongside housing allowances—far higher than the national average income. Activists argue these earnings directly contradict President Prabowo’s campaign promises of austerity and leaner government spending.
Several civil society organizations, such as Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), the Indonesian Institute, and the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency, have long criticized the high salaries of politicians.
Tensions escalated on Friday after a motorcycle rideshare driver was reportedly killed during a police crackdown on protests. The incident inflamed public anger, leading to larger demonstrations across multiple cities.
President Prabowo has since canceled his planned trip to China, citing the unrest. At a news conference on Sunday, he acknowledged the mounting frustration, pledging to cut lawmakers’ allowances and impose a moratorium on costly overseas trips by government officials.
“The people are not satisfied with Prabowo, who is not doing enough because he promised a lot,” said Professor Azmi Hassan, a geostrategic analyst and senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research in Malaysia.
