September 1, 2025
JAKARTA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto appealed for calm and order on Aug 31, after nationwide anger over parliamentarian perks and rising living costs for the average citizen erupted into mob attacks earlier that day, with protesters storming and looting the homes of senior officials.
“I ask all citizens to trust the government, to remain calm. The government that I lead is determined to always fight for the interests of the people, including the smallest, the most left behind,” said Mr Prabowo during a televised address where he appeared alongside senior politicians including Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and Golkar chairman Bahlil Lahadalia.
Mr Prabowo, who had cancelled a planned trip to China as violent protests turned fatal with at least five deaths in recent days, said the House leadership will revoke several policies, “including the size of allowances for House members and a moratorium on overseas work trips”.
These were among the perks granted in a new allowances package for lawmakers that first triggered the Aug 25 protests outside the national Parliament in Jakarta.
Mr Prabowo said lawmakers must reflect, and “must always be sensitive and always side with the interests of the people”. For errant lawmakers, “firm action” will be taken against them by party leaders, he added.
His speech comes as several protests have swept across Jakarta and other cities, evolving into what protesters call “people’s justice” where enraged crowds hunt down officials and lawmakers, with some of their home addresses made public in a wave of doxxing.
During his speech, Mr Prabowo said he had ordered security forces to take “stern action” against unlawful acts, such as vandalising of homes and public or commercial areas.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was one of the most high-profile targets. In the early hours of Aug 31, mobs forced their way into her residence in the upscale Bintaro district, outside Jakarta. Videos showed protesters smashing property and carrying away valuables – from electronics and paintings to clothing and furniture.
“I was shocked because they forced their way into the housing complex, shouting and causing chaos,” resident Agung was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe. “They took things from the minister’s house. I was afraid they might come into our homes too.”
Public anger had been building against Dr Mulyani following a viral deepfake video that shows her calling teachers a “burden”, alongside her own controversial remarks equating taxes with Islamic alms, or zakat.
Other lawmakers also came under fire. The first house stormed was that of National Democratic Party parliamentarian Ahmad Sahroni, notorious for flaunting his fleet of luxury cars. He had earlier labelled Indonesians who demanded that Parliament be dissolved as “the dumbest people in the world” and called protesters “jerks”. Online footage showed mobs smashing his sports cars and distributing seized luxury items, including Louis Vuitton handbags and a Richard Mille watch.
Hundreds of protesters also broke into the homes of Mr Surya Utama, a television personality better known as Uya Kuya, and comedian-turned-lawmaker Eko Patrio. Mr Eko’s prized Angora cat was snatched by intruders as crowds livestreamed the looting.
The pair, both members of the National Mandate Party, had been heavily criticised after a video emerged of them dancing during Parliament’s Aug 15 session, ahead of the Aug 17 Independence Day – behaviour widely derided as tone-deaf amid worsening economic hardship. They apologised on Aug 30.
In a sombre Instagram video, Mr Surya said: “I sincerely apologise from the bottom of my heart to all Indonesians.”
Mr Eko, who is in his fourth parliamentary term, promised to “be more cautious” and “faithfully uphold my oath as a representative of the people”.
“I fully realise that this situation brings pain to the nation, especially to the families of victims,” Mr Eko added.
All three were subsequently suspended by their respective political parties on Aug 31.
Witch hunt
The raids on residences represent the most dramatic escalation of public anger since demonstrations began on Aug 25 over a new allowances package for lawmakers.
This granted them, among other benefits, 50 million rupiah (S$3,900) a month for housing, 12 million rupiah for food, and 7 million rupiah for transport, on top of a base salary of 6.5 million rupiah.
Protests intensified on Aug 28 after a 21-year-old delivery and ride-hailing motorbike rider, Mr Affan Kurniawan, was run over by a Brimob police tactical vehicle, sparking arson, clashes with the authorities, and widespread unrest across several provinces.
On Aug 29, the national police confirmed that seven officers had violated the force’s professional code of ethics in the incident and were placed under 20 days of special detention, effective the same day.
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, three others died as protesters set fire to the local Parliament building on Aug 30.
In his address on Aug 31, Mr Prabowo said that the officers responsible for Mr Affan’s death would be held accountable.
Indonesia has a history of street anger erupting into political upheaval – from the fall of Mr Suharto in 1998 to student rallies in 2019 against controversial laws curbing anti-graft powers and penalising extramarital sex.
For many Indonesians, viral images of politicians’ mansions being torn apart have become a potent symbol of frustration at a political class perceived as being out of touch with the struggles of ordinary people.
Calls for calm
Others have also called for cool and calm to prevail. Many, mindful of the shadow cast by the May 1998 riots when ethnic Chinese Indonesians were targeted and their homes looted, are warning one another not to escalate the current situation into racial riots.
Activist Andreas Harsono, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said he supports the protests but also added that the authorities must act against looters. He described the unrest as a reflection of deep public anger at politicians and criticised a system in which MPs are legally more accountable to their party leaders than to voters. He noted that at least 37 local Parliament buildings have been attacked, some set ablaze, underscoring the scale of the anger.
“I support street protests and am disappointed with the behaviour of some MPs, but no one can take the law into their own hands. The authorities must act firmly against looters,” he told The Straits Times.
Several countries have issued travel warnings for Indonesia amid escalating nationwide protests and looting, including the United States, Britain, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.
The US urged its citizens to avoid crowds and remain alert in tourist areas, while Singapore advised its nationals to steer clear of areas where anti-government protests are being held and to avoid large public gatherings.
“You should stay vigilant, monitor developments through the local news and heed instructions by local authorities,” the Singapore embassy posted on its official Facebook page on Aug 30.
Escalating unrest
In the wake of violent protests and riots, Jakarta and several provinces bear the scars of unrest. Streets once bustling with life are littered with charred vehicles, broken gates and burnt bus stops. Bottles and sticks lie scattered across the ground.
The Parliament building in Makassar now stands as a hollowed-out skeleton, its windows shattered and walls scorched by flames.
Protests, although in smaller groups, continued on the night of Aug 30 but were confined to areas such as the Parliament building and Brimob headquarters.
Protests also eased in Jakarta on Aug 31 as the capital’s weekly car-free day went ahead as usual. Main roads along Sudirman and Thamrin were closed to traffic in the morning, giving residents space to jog, cycle and walk.
City cleaners had worked overnight to clear debris from the earlier unrest.
ByteDance’s TikTok, which has more than 100 million accounts in Indonesia, has suspended its live feature for the “next few days” following the protests.
“In the light of the increasing violence in protests in Indonesia, we are taking additional security measures to keep TikTok a safe and civil space. As part of this measure, we are voluntarily suspending the TikTok LIVE feature for the next few days in Indonesia,” a spokesperson said.
Instagram posts by netizens have also emerged, urging others not to damage public property, attack one another, loot shops or small businesses, or spread hoaxes.
An Instagram post by user Liem Ing Fei said: “Do not fall into the trap of people versus authorities.”
In reference to the House of Representatives (DPR), it added: “Our real enemies are the DPR and the political elite who remain silent and hidden. Fellow citizens are brothers and sisters, not opponents. Our enemy is an oppressive policy that harms the people.”