By Ananda Teresia
JAKARTA, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Indonesia has boosted security around parliament in the capital Jakarta and in other major cities as demonstrators gathered for rallies on Thursday, a year after a wave of violent anti-government protests erupted across the country.
Thousands of students and civilians joined nationwide protests against the government’s spending priorities in August last year. Ten people were killed during the rioting, while nearly 7,000 were arrested and hundreds sentenced.
On Thursday, students will rally in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Makassar to protest against government policies and demand harsher punishments for corruption.
President Prabowo Subianto’s approval rating has plummeted to 38% in August, according to a poll by Tempo, a leading investigative media organisation. His administration has been facing mounting pressures from its costly populist programmes, which have raised concerns from investors and the public alike.
A major source of discontent has been Prabowo’s free meals programme, which has been dogged by governance issues, mass food poisoning and other legal challenges.
Chief security minister Djamari Chaniago said the deployment of security personnel was not aimed at clamping down on freedom of expression.
“We will escort them so that their aspirations can be conveyed properly,” he said.
At least 18,000 police personnel have been deployed near the parliamentary complex, Tempo reported. Police buses and military trucks were also seen around Jakarta’s main roads, according to a Reuters witness.
STOP FREE MEALS, MILITARISATION
In Jakarta, three different groups are expected to rally, including students from a number of universities demanding an end to free meals and “militarisation”, as well as lower staple food prices, representative Kahirul Ammar told Reuters.
“We chose August 27 to commemorate because last year there were riots and various other incidents. And today we want to convey our aspirations, not cause riots,” he said, adding that the protests would start on Thursday afternoon.
Another group involved is the United Pati Community Alliance, a grassroots group from Pati in Central Java, which was behind a series of protests last year in response to a plan to raise property tax by 250%.
Around two hundreds of its members wearing black shirts were protesting at the parliamentary building from Thursday morning.
They called on parliament to pass the asset forfeiture bill, allowing the government to seize assets involved in crimes like corruption and money laundering, while urging death sentences for the perpetrators, said Adi Junanto, a member of the group’s legal staff.
A former mayor of Pati who spearheaded the tax increase is currently facing trial for alleged corruption.
The lawmakers met with the group’s representatives and promised to resign if they did not pass the law by December 15 at the latest, the group’s leader Supriyono told protesters after the meeting.
Another group will also hold a rally in the parliamentary building in support of Prabowo, local media reported.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by David Stanway)
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