Indonesia's president cancels China trip as protests continue

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday cancelled a planned visit to China as nationwide protests spread beyond Jakarta, with several regional parliament buildings set on fire.

Prabowo had been scheduled to attend a “Victory Day” parade in Beijing on 3 September, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two. But presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said the president wanted to remain in Indonesia to monitor the unrest and “seek the best solutions”. He added that Prabowo had apologised to Beijing and also considered his upcoming participation at the United Nations General Assembly.

The demonstrations, seen as the first major challenge to Prabowo’s year-old administration, erupted in Jakarta earlier this week over lawmakers’ allowances. Tensions escalated after a police vehicle fatally struck a motorcyclist.

Authorities have warned that disinformation circulating online has fuelled anger. On Saturday, TikTok suspended its live-streaming feature in Indonesia for several days after the government summoned social media companies, including Meta and ByteDance, to strengthen moderation.

Meanwhile, violence intensified across the country. Fires broke out at parliament buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan in Central Java, and Cirebon in West Java. In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, three people died in an arson attack on the local assembly building, according to the national disaster agency, while two others were injured after leaping from the burning structure. Another fatality was reported by local media but could not be independently confirmed.

Protests also reached Bali, where police deployed teargas, while in Jakarta demonstrators looted the home of NasDem party lawmaker Ahmad Sahroni, seizing furniture and other possessions. Sahroni, accused of dismissing calls to dissolve parliament, had earlier labelled his critics “the stupidest people in the world.”

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