3 Dead as Indonesian Parliament Building Set Ablaze Amid Violent Protests

At least three people have died after a mob set fire to the regional parliament building in Makassar, the capital city of Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province, The Associated Press reported on Saturday. The blaze, which began late Friday, resulted in an eerie orange glow over the area. TV footage showed the provincial council building engulfed in flames overnight.

By Saturday morning, rescuers retrieved three bodies from the wreckage, the report said. Five others were hospitalised with burns or broken bones after reportedly jumping from the building to escape the flames, according to local disaster official Fadli Tahar. 

Unrest Across Indonesia as Demonstrators Clash With Police

The Makassar clashes comes amid a wave of violent protests that swept across Indonesia. Protesters in West Java’s Bandung also reportedly set fire to a regional parliament building on Friday.

In Surabaya – Indonesia’s second-largest city – demonstrators stormed the regional police headquarters, destroying fences and setting vehicles on fire. Security forces deployed in the area reportedly used tear gas and water cannons. Protesters, reports suggest, retaliated with fireworks and wooden clubs.

The chaos reached Jakarta as well, where authorities worked through Saturday to clear charred vehicles, police offices, and bus shelters that had been set ablaze by angry crowds.

Protests Triggered by Housing Allowance Scandal

The unrest began earlier in the week, sparked by public outrage over reports that Indonesia’s 580 lawmakers receive a housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) on top of their salaries. The allowance – introduced last year – is nearly ten times the minimum wage in Jakarta, fuelling accusations of greed and insensitivity from lawmakers, especially as many Indonesians struggle with rising living costs and unemployment.

The protests intensified following the death of 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan. For the uninitiated, a video on social media showed Kurniawan being run over by a police vehicle during a protest in Jakarta on Thursday. Witnesses present at the scene claimed that the armoured vehicle from the National Police’s Mobile Brigade unit sped through the crowd, hitting Kurniawan and running over him without stopping. 

Protests Erupt in Multiple Cities

Protests erupted in multiple cities, including Medan, Yogyakarta, Malang, and Papua, resulting in violent confrontations between demonstrators and riot police. The Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights said that around 951 people were arrested in Jakarta by Thursday. Meanwhile, 25 officers were hospitalised due to injuries from protesters, the report further said.

Amnesty International condemned the Indonesian government’s response, saying it is suppressing free speech. “No one should lose their lives for exercising their right to protest,” AP quoted Amnesty International Executive Director Usman Hamid as saying. “The authorities must immediately release anyone detained solely for exercising their rights.”