Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced on Sunday that the government will reduce compensation for federal lawmakers. The move follows a week of protests over rising living costs and unemployment, which have led to violence in several cities.
The protests began after members of parliament received an increase of $3,030 in housing allowances. This amount is much higher than the country’s minimum wage, leading to public anger.
At least five people have died and hundreds have been injured during the demonstrations. In Jakarta, a 21-year-old ride-sharing driver was killed by a police vehicle at a protest on Thursday. This incident added complaints about police brutality to the list of issues raised by demonstrators.
Some rioters targeted lawmakers’ homes with looting and vandalism, according to The New York Times.
President Subianto addressed the nation on Sunday: “Federal lawmakers would receive a cut in their allowances.” He added that he understood public concerns about economic conditions.
Due to the ongoing unrest, Subianto canceled his planned trip to a security conference in China on Saturday.
