Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has canceled his trip to China due to escalating antigovernment protests across the country.
The decision comes after at least three people were killed in an arson attack on a parliament building in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province. TikTok has also suspended its live feature in Indonesia, citing concerns over increasing violence in the country.
The protests, which began in Jakarta on Monday, were sparked by reports that lawmakers would receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) in addition to their salaries.
Critics argue that this allowance is excessive and insensitive, given the country’s soaring living costs, taxes, and rising unemployment.
The situation worsened after a police vehicle hit and killed 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan in Jakarta on Thursday, sparking widespread outrage against the country’s security forces.
Prabowo has urged calm and offered condolences for Kurniawan’s death, but has also called on military and police chiefs to act decisively to restore order.
“The president wants to continue monitoring [the situation in Indonesia] directly… and seek the best solutions,” presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said in a video statement. “Therefore, the president apologises to the Chinese government that he could not attend the invitation.”
Protesters have taken to the streets, causing fires at regional parliament buildings in three provinces – West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan city in Central Java, and Cirebon city in West Java.
Local media reported that protesters had looted parliamentary office equipment in Cirebon, and police had fired tear gas to disperse protesters in Pekalongan and West Nusa Tenggara.
“The government is calling for calm, but the protests are expanding, with more grievances in more cities and more demonstrations planned for the coming days,”.
Thousands of protesters remain on the streets, angered by the housing allowance for politicians, which is 10 times the minimum wage in the city.
Wirya Adiwena, deputy director of Amnesty International Indonesia, criticized the government’s response, saying that it seems more interested in ensuring “full control of the narratives [and] full control of the protests, instead of addressing the real concerns that people have.”
Adiwena also noted that the government is “bringing back old playbooks,” referencing a recent law that pushes the army back into civilian lives, giving it more control and presence in civil government.
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, stated that it was taking additional security measures to keep TikTok a safe and civil space. “As part of this measure, we are voluntarily suspending the TikTok LIVE feature for the next few days in Indonesia,” the company said in a statement.
The protests mark the first major test for Prabowo’s nearly year-old government, with analysts warning that the unrest could escalate further if the government fails to address the public’s grievances.
The situation remains volatile, with more protests planned in the coming days.