Indonesian police fired tear gas at protesters near two universities in the regional city of Bandung on Tuesday, student groups and authorities reported, escalating tensions amid demonstrations that have claimed eight lives since last week.
Protests began a week ago in Jakarta, the capital, targeting government spending, such as enhanced perks for lawmakers, and have escalated nationwide, with some rioting and looting after a police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle taxi driver.
At least eight people have died in the protests, senior minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Monday.
Tear Gas Near Campuses
Authorities fired tear gas into crowds near the campuses, the groups at the Islamic University of Bandung, or UNISBA, and nearby Pasundan University, more than 140 km (87 miles) west of Jakarta, said on Instagram.
Authorities fired tear gas from outside the campus gates and fired rubber bullets as well, injuring one person, Muhammad Ilham, a Pasundan student, told Reuters.
“There was a student who got hit by the rubber bullet, two shots,” he said on Tuesday.
Police official Hendra Rochmawan said authorities did not enter the campuses but tried to break up crowds of non-student protesters seeking protection within the grounds, as the crowds blocked roads in the area.
UNISBA Rector Harits Nu’man echoed the police statement, saying the campus served as a medical hub for protesters.
The UNISBA student body accused security forces of seeking to silence dissent, saying they “brutally attacked” the campus with tear gas that caused breathing problems for some students.
University students have long been regarded as vanguards of Indonesia’s democracy, having taken a leading role in protests that helped topple authoritarian leader President Suharto in 1998.
Prabowo Meets Labour Unions
Current president Prabowo Subianto, a military leader under Suharto, met labour unions, some of whom joined last week’s protest for a hike in the minimum wage, and said he told lawmakers to discuss labour laws, according to a statement from his office.
The head of the Indonesia Trade Union Confederation, Said Iqbal, told a press conference he had told Prabowo of workers’ demands, such as an end to cheap labour, job outsourcing and income-tax cuts.
Prabowo has warned that the police and military would stand firm against violent escalations.
International rights groups have criticised the security response to the protests.
“The Indonesian authorities acted irresponsibly by treating the protests as acts of treason or terrorism,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch.
The United Nations’ rights office called for accusations of rights violations by security forces to be investigated.
“We call for prompt, thorough, and transparent investigations into all alleged violations of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force,” said its spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani.
Jakarta police said they had arrested as a criminal suspect the director of the non-profit legal aid group Lokataru Foundation, Delpedro Marhaen, over accusations of inciting a riot among underage children.
The group did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it has said the arrest was unlawful.
Indonesians added pink and green hues to their pictures in profiles on social media in response to the protests, with some using the hashtag #ResetIndonesia and listing demands for the government.
(With inputs from Reuters)
