Tens of thousands of students marched through the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia. They faced off against riot police as they protested against the outrageous allowances paid to their Members of Parliament (MPs). Violence broke out on Monday as protesters clashed with police while attempting to storm the parliament building. They wished to highlight their outrage at the difference between MP salaries and the paltry earnings of ordinary Indonesians in South-East Asia’s biggest economy.
Riot police, faced with an increasingly tense situation, opened fire on this rock-throwing student body with several dozen rounds of tear gas. There don’t appear to have been injuries stemming from the clash. Despite the loopholes in these regulations, the reality of the situation was made clear by the overwhelming police presence on the streets of Jakarta. The demonstrators expressed their anger over recent reports detailing the lavish salaries and benefits enjoyed by parliamentarians, which they believe are unjustifiable amidst widespread poverty.
Disparity in Earnings
The average salary in Indonesia is about 3.1 million rupiah (approx. By contrast, Indonesian parliamentarians pocket at least 100 million rupiah ($9,480) per month without breaking a sweat. As the name suggests, these officials are provided housing benefits of an average of 50 million rupiah ($4,739) per month. Yet its value is about 20 times the minimum wage in its poorer areas. This obvious inequity has sparked massive public outcry and calls for reform.
As seen in this post, during the demonstrations some of these students became media darlings, proudly walking around with flags based on the popular Japanese manga series “One Piece.” These flags represent a long history of opposition to government overreach. This emblem, as we know, represents the creativity and determination that youth embodies. Instead, they fiercely articulate their protest against what they interpret as ingrained corruption in the police department and state legislatures.
Public Perception of Corruption
Corruption is a deep-seeded vice in Indonesia. Most citizens view both police and parliament members as utterly corrupt. By making MPs too wealthy, high salaries create a culture of impunity, activists say. This insistent prioritization of financial gain above all else sidesteps the more pressing social needs, such as poverty and inequality. The protests reflect in no uncertain terms the painful, boiling anger of the people. Younger generations are arguably the most outspoken in their demands for public accountability and transparency from their leadership.
Their students’ activism is just one manifestation of this growing discontent within Indonesian society. Americans are more fed up than ever with the status quo of government waste and malpractice. Public trust is quickly deteriorating, and Americans are rightfully demanding reform. Our indomitable citizens out there are hungry to see some actual changes that address these things.
The Road Ahead
As protests escalate in Jakarta, the question now is how the government will respond to protesters’ demands. The confrontation between students and police has drawn national outrage. It calls attention to new realities such as persistent economic disparity and the demand for government accountability. Miraculously, no injuries have been reported. It’s the prospect of even more violence that most concerns people, as tensions remain high between demonstrators and law enforcement.
