Makassar, Indonesia, Aug 30 — At least three people were killed and five others injured after protesters set fire to a regional parliament building in South Sulawesi’s capital, officials said Saturday, as unrest over lawmakers’ housing allowances spread to multiple Indonesian cities.
The blaze broke out late Friday at the provincial council building in Makassar. Television footage showed flames engulfing the structure, turning the night sky orange. Local disaster official Fadli Tahar said rescuers recovered three bodies from the charred building by Saturday morning. Five survivors were taken to hospitals with burns or injuries sustained while leaping from the upper floors.
The violence mirrored scenes in other cities. In West Java’s Bandung, demonstrators torched another parliament building Friday, though no casualties were reported. In Surabaya, the country’s second-largest city, protesters stormed the regional police headquarters after smashing fences and setting vehicles on fire. Security forces fired tear gas and water cannons, while demonstrators retaliated with fireworks and wooden clubs.
Calm returned to Jakarta on Saturday, but authorities faced the aftermath of five days of protests that left police posts, cars and bus shelters destroyed. Officials said about 951 people were arrested in the capital alone, while the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) estimated injuries among civilians far outnumbered the 25 police officers hospitalised during the clashes.
The unrest was initially sparked Monday by revelations that all 580 Indonesian lawmakers were granted a housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) per month—nearly 10 times Jakarta’s minimum wage—on top of their salaries. Critics argue the perk, introduced last year, is excessive and tone-deaf at a time of soaring living costs, tax hikes, and rising unemployment.
Public anger deepened after the death of 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan during protests in Jakarta on Thursday. A viral video showed him being struck and run over by an armored vehicle from the National Police’s Mobile Brigade while delivering food near the demonstration site. Witnesses said the vehicle accelerated through the crowd without stopping.
His death ignited fresh clashes in several provinces including Medan, Solo, Yogyakarta, Magelang, Malang, Bengkulu, Pekanbaru, and as far as Manokwari in Papua.
Amnesty International Indonesia denounced the crackdown. “No one should lose their lives for exercising their right to protest,” said Usman Hamid, the group’s executive director. “The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for exercising their rights.”
Authorities confirmed that seven Mobile Brigade officers linked to Kurniawan’s death have been detained and questioned. But rights groups say accountability remains uncertain as police continue to confront demonstrators with heavy force.
While officials have pledged to investigate, protesters say the housing allowance controversy and the killing have exposed a widening gulf between Indonesia’s political elite and ordinary citizens struggling with economic pressures.
