Indonesia
From fuel price hikes to multibillion-dollar government programs, a growing list of grievances has fueled recurring protests during President Prabowo Subianto’s first two years in office, highlighting widening public dissatisfaction with the administration’s policy direction.
University students clash with police during a protest against government policies, including state budget spending, the free meals program and expanded military roles in civilian affairs, on June 15 in Jakarta. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
From fuel price hikes to multibillion-dollar government programs, a growing list of grievances has fueled recurring protests during President Prabowo Subianto’s first year and a half in office, highlighting widening public dissatisfaction with the administration’s policy direction.Over the past week, a fresh wave of student-led demonstrations have swept Jakarta and several other cities as public frustration over rising living costs, a weakening rupiah and broader economic pressures intensified following the government’s decision to raise non-subsidised fuel prices by more than 30 percent last week.
Thousands of students from universities across Greater Jakarta rallied on Friday at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, one of the capital’s most prominent landmarks, in a protest dubbed #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut (Heading to Bankrupt Indonesia). Protesters accused the government of neglecting the economic struggles of ordinary Indonesians while continuing to fund costly flagship programs.
