Indonesia In Inequality: Deadly Protests Spread Through Indonesia

September 1st, 2025
Harry Xu

On Saturday, Indonesian protestors set fire to a government building in Makassar, leading to three deaths and five injuries. This week, violent protests started in the capital city, Jakarta, due to Indonesian lawmakers’ high pay.

The events escalated earlier this week, after the police drove into delivery driver Affan Kurniawan’s motorcycle, leading to his death. On Sunday, videos of the collision went viral, spurring anger towards the government. As a result, hundreds of taxi drivers and students have protested at the police headquarters.

These protests mark the first major show of dissent for Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s government, which was elected in April of last year. Prabowo has offered condolences on Kurniawan’s death, declaring an investigation into the death. On Saturday, he canceled his upcoming trip to China for a military parade; a spokesperson says that Prabowo wants to continue monitoring the situation.

Extensive looting of lawmakers’ homes has occurred around the country, including the home of the finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati. This is because lawmakers’ monthly housing pay is more than 10 times the pay of minimum wage workers, fueling the current inequality of the country.

To combat protesters, tear gas was employed in cities like Bali. Additionally, TikTok, owned by a Chinese company, has temporarily removed the “live” feature for Indonesians. Prabowo has called the military to “take firm action in accordance with the law,” leading to fears that the army could be deployed. On Sunday, Prabowo promised to cut the benefits of lawmakers to appease the protestors. However, these attempts to stop them haven’t been enough. Indonesians have yet to call off the protests for Monday, and their plans remain in effect.

The deaths this week have been the worst violence the nation has seen in years. Indonesia has been seen as one of the most stable countries in Southeast Asia, and Prabowo has faced little opposition since being elected; however, the recent rise of inflation, unemployment and police corruption has led to unrest in Indonesia, spilling out into the recent protests.

Prabowo promised in his presidential campaign that the country would have an 8% increase in economic growth. But after a year, the growth has yet to happen. Muzammil Ihsan, a member of the All Indonesian Students’ Executive Body, says that “[t]he anger on the streets is not without cause.”

While Indonesia is relatively stable, President Prabowo needs to listen to his people to maintain the peace. Otherwise, the violence from the past week may become more common. While Prabowo needs to stop the protests soon, the underlying economic issues in the country can not be ignored. For Indonesia to succeed, the government needs to listen to the people, so peace can be everlasting.