Anti-Corruption Protests Spread in Indonesia, Skirmishes Reported (Worthy News Investigation)

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (Worthy News) – Indonesian security forces fired tear gas Monday near the Parliament building in Jakarta as thousands gathered to demand the resignation of legislators, accusing them of heavy taxation and corruption.

The clashes came after days of mounting protests, including in the province of Central Java’s Pati regency, where anger over a planned 250 percent property tax hike forced the local regent to resign. Police said dozens of demonstrators were detained in Jakarta following the skirmishes.

The protests in the world’s largest Muslim nation have broadened into a nationwide movement. In some regions, land and property tax increases have reached up to 1,000 percent, sparking widespread anger.

Demonstrators ranging from student groups and labor unions to motorcycle taxi drivers and farmers accuse lawmakers of enriching themselves with extravagant allowances while ordinary Indonesians face higher taxes, rising living costs, and shrinking regional budgets.

Local media reported parliamentarians were paid upwards of 100 million rupiah ($6,150) a month, including a substantial housing allowance. While Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, the remuneration is far above the average income of 3.1 million rupiah ($189).

“This is really a scandal. We have to pay from our taxes for their spouses too,” said a Christian entrepreneur and evangelist, whose name is known to Worthy News. “They live better than legislators in richer Western European countries,” she told Worthy News.

Labor Party leader Said Iqbal called the perks “a clear picture of the wealth gap in this country.”

CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

Protesters also demand investigations into alleged corruption involving the family of former President Joko Widodo and the impeachment of his son, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Sources backing Monday’s rally in Jakarta told Worthy News that after tear gas was fired, some protesters threw stones at police in frustration over what they viewed as deepening inequality.

Social media footage reviewed by Worthy News confirmed rising tensions in Indonesia’s capital. Indonesians said they hope the unrest will not escalate into violence reminiscent of the 1998 overthrow of President Suharto after more than three decades of authoritarian rule.

However, there is mounting concern about the growing role of Indonesia’s army in civilian affairs, Worthy News learned.

Protests have also erupted elsewhere, including in parts of Java and Sulawesi islands, fueled by cuts of up to 25 percent in regional funding.

Under pressure to show it cares for citizens, the central government in Jakarta redirected money to national programs such as free school meals. Yet critics say the initiative has been poorly managed, with more than 1,000 cases of food poisoning reported across the country.

The government said it halted operations at implicated kitchens and pledged to improve food safety and hygiene. Demonstrators argue the measures only widen inequality while legislators enjoy generous benefits, including a housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (over $3,000) per month—more than ten times the average worker’s salary.

PIRATE FLAG PROTESTS

As street protests grow, others have turned to a symbolic form of dissent launched in the days leading up to Indonesia’s Independence Day on August 17: the raising of pirate flags from the Japanese comic and television series One Piece instead of the national Red-and-White banner.

Since late July, the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates has appeared on homes, trucks, and walls, interpreted as a grassroots expression of dissatisfaction with President Prabowo Subianto’s call to fly the national flag.

The actions gained international attention, including in Asia. The South China Morning Post daily described the banners as a “symbol of resistance against injustice,” while the Malay Mail newspaper noted that truck drivers use the flag to oppose strict transport regulations.

Rights groups also reported confiscations of the pirate flag, with one driver allegedly assaulted by a military officer during a seizure.

Indonesian Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto called the pirate flag “a form of free expression,” but Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai warned it could “cross into illegality” if flown alongside the national flag or used provocatively.

With protests spreading and anger rising, legislators and the government face a major challenge in overcoming growing public mistrust in Indonesia’s political elite in the nation of roughly 280 million people, the world’s fourth most populous country.

(With additional reporting from Medan and Jakarta.)

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