As Indonesia’s Protests Roil On, Prabowo’s Crackdown Could Escalate Violence

Joshua Kurlantzick

Sourec Link

For several weeks now, protests have roiled many parts of Indonesia. Demonstrators angry about the weak economy, high unemployment, inequality, and the amount of money made by lawmakers have organized protests in many cities, with several turning violent. Some demonstrators have set fire to Indonesian lawmakers’ homes and a regional parliament building, while others have attacked police and other security authorities. In response, the authorities have often cracked down hard, resulting in further bloodshed.

Already, at least ten people have died in the demonstrations, which are ongoing, and twenty more people have vanished. Protestors have announced that some of their twenty-five demands, which focus on removing the Indonesian army from civil matters inside Indonesia, reducing lawmakers’ high pay, conducting serious investigations into government corruption, and taking extensive measures to boost economic security, must be met by Friday, but this appears highly unlikely. The possibility, then, of broadening violence remains very high.

President Prabowo Subianto, a longtime army officer and former son-in-law of dictator Suharto, is known for his bluff, unrelenting style, and allegedly was involved in massive human rights abuses during the Suharto regime. Because of those alleged activities, he was denied a visa to the United States for years. His brutal style and strong desire to entrench the army again in domestic matters would make one think that he would give little ground to the protests.

For a brief period, Prabowo seemed to actually show flexibility and make concessions to the protestors, shocking observers, including myself. In late August, according to the New York Times, he made a speech saying he understood “the genuine aspirations of the public” and then said the government would reduce lawmakers’ overseas trips and cut allowances for lawmakers, who were getting about $3,000 per month in housing stipends plus their salaries in a country with a GDP per capita of around $4,900. He also claimed that political parties would get rid of lawmakers who mocked protestors.