Indonesia’s President Prabowo cancels a China trip as protests over lawmakers’ pay spread nationwide, with parliament buildings torched and deadly arson in Makassar.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday cancelled a planned visit to China as nationwide protests intensified, spreading beyond the capital Jakarta. Demonstrators set several regional parliament buildings ablaze, turning the unrest into the first major test for Prabowo’s nearly year-old government.
The president had been scheduled to attend a Victory Day parade in China on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi explained in a video statement: “The president wants to continue monitoring the situation in Indonesia directly and seek the best solutions. Therefore, the president apologises to the Chinese government that he could not attend the invitation.”
Hadi also noted that another factor in cancelling the trip was Prabowo’s preparation for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in September.
Protests sparked by anger against lawmakers
The protests began in Jakarta earlier this week over lawmakers’ pay and escalated after a police vehicle fatally struck a motorcyclist. Unrest quickly spread nationwide, with demonstrations reported in multiple provinces.
On Saturday, protesters set fire to parliament buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan (Central Java), and Cirebon (West Java). Local media reported looting in Cirebon, while police deployed teargas in Pekalongan and West Nusa Tenggara.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency confirmed that three people were killed in an arson attack on the parliamentary building in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi. The victims were trapped inside as the building burned. Two others were injured after leaping from windows to escape.
Local outlet Metrotvnews later reported a fourth death, though this has not yet been independently confirmed.
Online disinformation and social media restrictions
Authorities say disinformation has fueled the unrest. This week, the government summoned representatives from TikTok, Meta, and other social media platforms, urging them to boost content moderation.
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, announced on Saturday that it had temporarily suspended its live-streaming feature in Indonesia in response to the situation.
Protests also erupted on the island of Bali, where police used teargas against demonstrators.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, protesters reportedly looted the home of NasDem party lawmaker Ahmad Sahroni, taking household furniture. Sahroni has been criticized for dismissive remarks about citizens calling for parliament’s dissolution, labeling them “the stupidest people in the world.”
