Four people have died and five others were injured in Indonesia after protesters set fire to a regional parliament building, marking the first significant challenge to President Prabowo Subianto’s government amid ongoing demonstrations, authorities said on Saturday.
The four deceased were identified as municipal official Syaiful Anwar, DPRD photographer Ubay, legislative staff member Sarina, and a Municipal Police officer named Budi, according to the Antara news agency.
The Southeast Asian nation’s disaster management agency, in a statement, did not give the causes of the deaths in the Friday evening fire in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province.
The Antara news agency said the dead victims allegedly had been trapped in the burning building. The disaster agency said two of the injuries resulted from people jumping out of the building.
Escalating Protests
Protests began in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta this week over lawmakers’ pay, escalating on Friday after a police armoured vehicle hit and killed the driver of a ride-hailing motorbike.
Prabowo, who took office in October last year, visited the home of the driver late on Friday, offering condolences to his parents and vowing to oversee the investigation into his death.
Local media reported isolated looting in Jakarta and damage to several transportation facilities in Jakarta on Friday, as well as demonstrations in the major cities of Bandung and Yogyakarta.
Jakarta’s mass rapid transit railway said trains were not stopping at one station on Saturday near Friday’s protest site, while the Jakarta province-owned Transjakarta bus service said it was unable to serve customers.
There were no immediate signs of protests on Saturday.
Governor Urges Calm
South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman urged calm on Saturday after protests in Makassar turned violent, resulting in four deaths and the burning of the local parliament building.
“There have been fatalities. I appeal to everyone to stay calm. Let us work together to ensure a safe and peaceful South Sulawesi,” Sulaiman said in Makassar.
On Friday evening (Aug 29), the governor met with hundreds of protesters to listen to their concerns, expressing hope that dialogue would help reduce tensions.
“We all care deeply about this region. Let us uphold peace, respect one another, and preserve our unity for a stronger South Sulawesi,” he added.
(With inputs from Reuters and IBNS)
