President Prabowo reportedly cancelled China trip as protests over lawmakers' pay intensified across Indonesia. Fires, looting, and TikTok suspension have been adding to the unrest. (Photo: X/@prabowo)
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has cancelled a planned visit to China amid intensifying protests sweeping across the country, according to a CNN report published Sunday. What began as public outrage over lawmakers’ pay has now erupted into violence, with parliament buildings set ablaze, police deploying tear gas, and tech companies scrambling to contain online disinformation, reports suggest.
According to the report, Prabowo was scheduled to attend China’s “Victory Day” parade on September 3, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender.
“The president wants to continue monitoring (the situation in Indonesia) directly…and seek the best solutions,” CNN quoted presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi as saying in a video statement on Saturday. “Therefore, the president apologises to the Chinese government that he could not attend the invitation.”
Hadi further revealed that another factor in the decision was Prabowo’s upcoming participation in a United Nations General Assembly session later this month.
Meanwhile, TikTok has temporarily suspended its live video feature amid growing unrest in Indonesia, after authorities summoned major platforms, including Meta and TikTok, urging them to better regulate content moderation.
The government has balmed what it says is disinformation circulating online that has been driving the latest wave of protests. TikTok – owned by China’s ByteDance – confirmed the suspension on Saturday, stating it would last for a few days while the platform works towards addressing concerns.
Protests turned destructive over the weekend, with fires reported at regional parliament buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Cirebon and Pekalongan, according to local news outlets. In some places, police even resorted to tear gas to disperse crowds.
Local media portal Detik.com reported looting of parliamentary equipment in Cirebon, while metrotvnews.com reported a fatality from a fire at the Makassar parliamentary building.
Additionally, a Jakarta residence belonging to NasDem Party lawmaker Ahmad Sahroni was reportedly looted. Sahroni has come under fire for calling parliament critics “the stupidest people in the world,” amid calls to dissolve the legislative body.
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