The recent protests in Indonesia – an island nation in Southeast Asia – reflect more than a spontaneous outburst, representing deep-seated grievances over governance and economic inequality, analysts say. 

A controversial proposal to increase the housing allowance for parliamentarians was the final straw for people of the country, home to the world’s largest Muslim population.

Indonesian lawmakers currently earn around 100 million rupiah (£4,499; $6,150) per month, which is over 30 times the average national income, according to local media reports. 

And the proposed house allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) would have substantially increased the salary of the parliamentarians in the country.

People had been expressing deep dissatisfaction with government policies, but when a police officer in Jakarta ran over and killed a 21-year-old driver, the protests turned violent, leaving at least 10 people dead, rights groups say. 

In an attempt at damage control, President Prabowo Subianto vetoed the controversial housing allowance proposal, but by then, the situation had spiralled out of control.

Authorities detained more than 1,240 demonstrators after five days of protests. 

The intensity of protests comes from two overlapping dynamics, according to Sophal Ear, a Cambodian-American academic at Arizona State University.

“First, the economic strain: rising living costs, uneven job opportunities, and persistent inequality have sharpened public anger.” 

“Second, the sense that political institutions are unresponsive—whether in handling corruption scandals, environmental degradation, or policy decisions seen as favouring elites,” Ear tells TRT World. 

Why are protests intense? 

In recent months, budget measures have had both direct and indirect impact on the Indonesian economy, as less money has been pumped into economic activities, an Indonesian academic who wishes to remain anonymous tells TRT World. 

Among other areas, university campuses have also seen protests, signalling the frustration of the country’s young population with recent government policies. 

“There are also waves of layoffs among young people, which coincides with difficulties in finding jobs for younger generations,” says the Indonesia academic.

“The protests themselves targeted the House of Representatives in Jakarta, especially by university students,” the academic added. 

According to footage, the death of Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old motorcycle delivery driver, happened after a police armoured vehicle ran him over late on Thursday in the middle of protesters in Jakarta, Java - the world’s most populous island. 

President Prabowo promised a proper investigation into Kurniawan’s death. 

On Monday, the national police’s accountability department head said that their ongoing investigation found criminal acts committed by two officers in a police vehicle.  

Some experts rate current protests as "among the most significant outbreaks of protests since the advent of reformasi," which refers to a democratisation period following the resignation of Suharto nearly three decades ago. 

While the central government says the protests got violent after improper police conduct against Kurniawan’s death, other policies like a significant tax rise on land property by local governments (Pati Regency) continue to fuel public anger across different provinces, according to the academic. 

The president firmly warned against the destruction of public buildings and other properties, as demonstrators looted houses of some lawmakers, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, over the weekend. 

According to Jakarta’s governor, protesters burned buses, subways and other infrastructure. 

“There is a mob mentality among the people and sometimes coincides with a copycat mindset to conduct that makes the anger and disappointment expressed intensely. If this mindset and anger were responded badly by the state apparatus, it may explode without any control,” says the academic from Indonesia. 

‘Deep frustration’

The intensity and extensivity of protests bringing together students, labour unions, civil society, and ordinary citizens across cities show they are “more than a single-issue movement; they are a national expression of discontent with the direction of government and the political class,” according to Ear.  

The Indonesian academic points out the role of social media “in conveying the situation very rapidly but without 'control' or verification”, adding that “It may ignite more anger and emulate similar action in different places.”

While the academic is not sure whether the protests are directed at the government or the parliament, he draws attention to the fact that “the seed of resentment has occurred”, meaning if the government cannot address people’s grievances, “it may become more problematic in the future.”