3 dead after mob sets fire to Indonesian regional parliament building

An angry mob set fire to a local parliament building in an Indonesian provincial capital, leaving at least three people dead and five others hospitalised, officials said.

The blaze in Makassar, the capital city of South Sulawesi province, began late Friday. Television reports showed the provincial council building ablaze overnight, causing the area to turn an eerie orange colour.

Rescuers retrieved three bodies on Saturday morning, while five people were hospitalized with burns or with broken bones after jumping from the building, said Fadli Tahar, a local disaster official.

Protesters in West Java’s Bandung city also set a regional parliament ablaze on Friday, but no casualties were reported. In Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, protesters stormed the regional police headquarters after destroying fences and torching vehicles. Security forces fired tear gas and used water cannons, but demonstrators fought back with fireworks and wooden clubs.

Protesters rides a motorcycle in front of a police headquarters that was burned and looted during demonstrations in Surabaya on Sunday. AFP

Foreign embassies in Jakarta, including the US, Australia and Southeast Asian countries, have advised their citizens in Indonesia to avoid demonstration areas or large public gatherings.

Calm largely returned to Indonesia's capital on Saturday as authorities cleaned up burned-out cars, police offices and bus shelters that were set ablaze by angry protesters.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto canceled his planned visit to China next week, citing escalating nationwide protests.

"This decision was taken with great caution while maintaining good relations with the Chinese government,” said Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi in a statement, adding that Subianto has conveyed his apology to Beijing.

Police officers walk amid tear gas smoke during a protest in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, on Saturday, sparked by reports of lawmakers receiving excessive housing allowances. AP

Subianto was among several heads of state and government invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the Victory Day Parade in Beijing on Sept. 3.

Protests in several regions have escalated into riots, with buildings and public facilities set on fire and even police headquarters attacked, National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo told a news conference Saturday evening.

"Such situations can no longer be considered freedom of expression, but rather criminal acts,” he said, adding that the police and the military "would immediately act to restore public order.”

Five days of protests began in Jakarta on Monday, sparked by reports that all 580 lawmakers receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) in addition to their salaries. The allowance, introduced last year, is almost 10 times the Jakarta minimum wage.

Protesters charge against police as the latter hold positions behind their shields during a demonstration in front of the Bali police station in Denpasar, Indonesia Bali island, on Saturday. AFP

Critics argue the new allowance is not only excessive but also insensitive at a time when most people are grappling with soaring living costs and taxes and rising unemployment.

The protests grew wider and more violent following the death of 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan. A video on social media apparently showing his death during a rally in the capital Jakarta on Thursday shocked the nation and spurred an outcry against the security forces.

Kurniawan was reportedly completing a food delivery order when he was caught in the clash. Witnesses told local television that the armored car from the National Police’s Mobile Brigade unit suddenly sped through the crowd of demonstrators and hit Kurniawan, causing him to fall. Instead of stopping, the car ran over him.

On Saturday, hundreds of ride-hailing drivers and students in Bali staged a solidarity demonstration over Kurniawan’s death in a rare protest on the tourist island. They called for police reform and the release of those arrested during the protests.

A protester walks with an Indonesian flag in front of a police headquarters in Surabaya on Sunday. AFP

Protesters marched to Bali’s regional police headquarters and riot police fired rounds of tear gas at them to push back those who tried to reach the heavily guarded compound. Protesters responded by throwing rocks, bottles and flares.

Clashes between riot police and protesters erupted in multiple cities across Indonesia on Friday, including in Medan, Solo, Yogyakarta, Magelang, Malang, Bengkulu, Pekanbaru and Manokwari in easternmost Papua region.

Some 950 people were arrested in rallies in Jakarta alone by Thursday, according to the National Commission on Human Rights, or Komnas HAM.

Authorities said about 25 officers were hospitalized with serious injuries after being attacked by protesters in Jakarta. The Komnas HAM believed that the number of injured people on the community side is much bigger.

Associated Press