(Bloomberg) – Affan Kurniawan caught up in a crowd of protesters and delivered food in the capital of Indonesia, dropped his cell phone and knelt to pick him up.
At that moment, an armored police vehicle slammed into a 21 -year -old taxi driver for motorcycles and attached it under the front tires. When the crowd descended to the vehicle, the policeman hit the accelerator and ran his body. Affan was rushed to Jakarta Hospital, but did not survive.
Fatal accidents – caught in the video and quickly spread in group cottages and social media – changed what seemed to be managing protests over rising cost of life into the most serious test for President Prabowo Subianto, who took power 10 months ago.
“Affen’s martyrdom will change the game completely,” said Lionel Priyadi, firm income and macro strategist at PT Mega Capital. “Now the government is facing a strong anti -political elite and anti -government sentiment.”
On Sunday evening there were at least four people dead when the protests spread to almost a dozen capitals. Buildings across the country were lit. And the houses of Finance Minister Sri Mulani Indrawati and several legislators were reportedly targeting looters. Aliens were seen in various places who transmitted bathtubs, Louis Vuitton and Hermes handbags, and even labub dolls.
Prabowo canceled the planned trip to China and organized an emergency cabinet meeting in an effort to restore 280 million people in the nation. At the Sunday television address, he announced the abolition of sturdy contributions to legislators who triggered protests, while ordered the police and the army to take a firm response to illegal acts.
“I call on all citizens to trust the government and remain calm,” the president said. “The government under my leadership is always determined to fight for people’s interests, including the most vulnerable and most marginalized interests.”
Although the protests are dying in the short term, they have revealed basic tension over persistent inequality, which threatens to consider prospects for nation’s growth and financial markets. Indonesia slipped by 1.5%on Friday in Indonesia, the largest decline in the world among the national meters monitored by Bloomberg.
The President’s reaction to protests tests his commitment to the fiscal restriction that has seen his promises in August to shorten the budget deficit, even if it increases populist measures. Indonesian markets responded negatively to any signs that it could open fiscal caps or interrupt bindings with Indrawati, which is highly respected among investors for maintenance of discipline to spend expenditure
“If the protests are getting worse, pressure to increase the total expenditure on the government may increase,” said Peter Mumford, Southeast Asia, the head of the Eurasia Group.
For Prabowo protests, they will hit the heart of dueling tendencies for a 73 -year -old former general: a strong desire to increase the role of the state and the army, and at the same time serve as a champion of the poor.
The President poured billions of dollars into a number of populist measures, including free school lunches and health controls. He also suspended an increase in value with the value added and introduced several stimulation measures, including cash leaflets, help rice and discount on electricity.
These movements increased Prabow’s popularity to 80% in public opinion polls that took place in January to mean the first 100 days in the office. However, no trusted surveys have been carried out since then.
“The public would like Prabowo to turn from symbolic populism to factual economic relief,” said Dedi Dinarto, head of a collaborator in the public policy of Global Counsel. “Free food programs would be considered insufficient when people face fuel and food prices.”
At the same time, the President installed the largest cabinet in Indonesian history with more than 100 members, increased the role of the army, strengthened the state hand in business and effectively eliminated the opposition in parliament.
This created the conditions for demonstrators to hit the streets after the legislators granted new benefits, including a monthly housing allowance of 50 million Rupiah ($ 330) – almost 10 times a monthly minimum wage in Jakarta.
“Street protests, which are now the only and only funnel of controls and balance for the government, will grow out of control only if the government coalition remains deaf with public complaints and accuses the protesters for chaos,” said Achmad Sukarsono, associated director of consulting control.
Indonesia has maintained a stable 5% economic growth over the past decade, but frustration mounted as cuts in the manufacturing sector disrupts the income of the already shrinking middle class. In the first half of this year, more than 42,000 workers were officially released, which, according to the Ministry of Worksforce, is compared to 32% compared to 32%. Analysts say the real number is probably much higher.
According to a report last year, the wealth of the 50 richest individuals in Indonesia equals the total wealth of 50 million Indonesians. For example, about half of the drivers with bicycles have spent almost all of their wages for daily expenses.
Therefore, Affan’s death was particularly hit by an chord. The premature death of a young person who found himself in a bad place at a bad time supported indignation. Motorcycle taxis in Indonesia are not only accessories of everyday life, but also a common means of livelihood for persistent dismissal in the last few years, from pandemic to the current trade war.
On one of the most prominent pictures from last week, thousands of drivers in their signing green jackets and helmets caught the riding platforms and Gojek brought the coffin Affana from his home to the cemetery. The clock after the protests became larger and more violent when the Indonesians took the streets to call for justice for a driver that many referred to as a “martyr”.
“The public is indeed very angry and upset with the elite behavior – hedonistic, often shows themselves on social media and insensitive to the suffering of ordinary people, most of whom are struggling,” said Aditya Perdan, a associate professor at the University of Indones.
“That’s what triggered such a strong, unexpected answer, expressed in the form of looting,” he added. “If the president soon fails to deal with this serious situation, of course, other forms of protests could appear in the future.”
-S using Norman Harson and Grace Sihombing.
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(Tagstotranslate) protests in Indonesia
