Jakarta saw protests erupt over extravagant political allowances in Indonesia.
In response, riot police were deployed to control the growing unrest, which was driven by workers, students, and political activists.
The Guardian reports, “Thousands of students, workers and activists demonstrated outside the nation’s parliament on Monday against a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($US3,075) for MPs, which is almost 10 times the Jakarta minimum wage.”
Lavish political perks in a country where ordinary citizens are struggling sparked widespread public anger — even among those not actively protesting against Indonesia’s internal political cronyism.
Demonstrators also highlighted the influence of “corrupt elites,” pointing to opaque deals involving major conglomerates and the military. This pattern, sadly, is not unique to Indonesia — it echoes across nations, from China to Brazil and throughout the halls of power worldwide.
In March, Indonesia passed a controversial law expanding the military’s role in civilian affairs, a move critics see as a step backward for democratic oversight. This month, the government announced the creation of 100 new military battalions, not for defense purposes, but to be trained in agriculture and animal husbandry — a decision that raises concerns about the blurring of military and civilian responsibilities.
Also, last month, the government revealed plans for the military to begin manufacturing pharmaceuticals, further deepening its involvement in sectors traditionally managed by civilian institutions.
Signs of mounting public anger toward President Prabowo Subianto — a former general — are surfacing across various regions of Indonesia.
Monday’s protest follows a wave of unrest in Central Java and Sulawesi, where thousands have taken to the streets in recent weeks to oppose sharp increases in property taxes.
West Papua
Meanwhile, in West Papua, the relentless persecution of the indigenous Papuan people continues unabated. Predominantly Christian and ethnically distinct from the Javanese—who dominate the largely Muslim Indonesian state—the Papuans have faced decades of violence, Javanese colonial imposition, ruthless exploitation of their natural resources, and other brutal realities. Despite this, the international community has largely remained silent, tolerating these ongoing abuses.
Indonesia’s key trading partners—including the United States, China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines—have offered little more than muted responses to the severe human rights crisis in West Papua. Meanwhile, Australia prioritizes its military and geopolitical relationship with Jakarta, often turning a blind eye to Papuan suffering, even as it vocally condemns human rights violations in distant conflicts like Ukraine.
The Guardian reports, “West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, home to the world’s third-largest rainforest. It is rich in natural resources, including the world’s largest gold and copper mine as well as extensive reserves of natural gas, minerals and timber.”
The Guardian continues, “West Papuans say more than 500,000 of their people have been killed by the occupation in the past six decades, while millions of acres of their ancestral lands have been destroyed for corporate profit.”
Accordingly, protests in Jakarta against political cronyism on the global stage are likely to be met with silence. After all, the world’s disregard for the plight of indigenous Papuans exposes the profound political and moral bankruptcy of the global elite.
The reconstruction was held at the site of the shooting along the Trans Nabire–Enarotali road in Siriwo Subdistrict, Nabire District, and involved members of Operation Peace Cartenz and the Nabire police.
"Twenty-one scenes were reenacted to illustrate how the attack unfolded and how the two officers were killed," Chief of the Operation Peace Cartenz Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani said in a statement on Wednesday.
One suspect, Suplianus Bagau, 31, also known as Siprianus Weya or Supli, was present to reenact his role, alongside several witnesses.
Bagau is accused of participating in the coordinated attack on August 13 that killed Brigadier M. Arif Maulana and First Brigadier Nelson C. Runaki, Ramadhani said.
The attackers were part of an armed Papuan group led by Aibon Kogoya and operated in three teams: one shot Maulana, another shot Runaki, and a third monitored the area.
Bagau and four other suspects — identified as YM, YW, KM, and TG — were part of the first and second teams, while the third team included Aibon Kogoya and an associate known as HM, Ramadhani said.
After the killings, the attackers reportedly seized two rifles — an AK-101 and an AK-47 — as well as bulletproof vests.
Investigators said the armed group later recorded a video statement at a makeshift camp, filmed by Bagau.
The reenactment was conducted under tight security, involving 15 tactical vehicles and 24 long-barrel firearms, with personnel equipped with body armor and combat helmets.
This reconstruction is a critical part of the investigation to confirm each suspect's role and strengthen the evidence, Ramadhani said.
"We are committed to ensuring the legal process runs transparently and according to procedure," he said while affirming Operation Peace Cartenz's commitment to pursuing the remaining suspects still at large.
"There is no room for armed groups committing violence in Papua," Ramadhani added.
Deputy Operation Chief of the Operation Peace Cartenz Senior Commissioner Adarma Sinaga said the reenactment proceeded without incident and will support the case file before submission to prosecutors.
After the event, Bagau was returned to police detention in Nabire. Investigators are finalizing the case dossier.
"We urge the public to remain calm and support the rule of law. We will continue tracking the fugitives," Sinaga said.
Related news: Operation Peace Cartenz apprehend eight suspected Papuan rebels
Related news: Operation Cartenz's Peace prioritizes persuasive measures: Police
Related news: Another ojek driver attacked with machete in Central Papua
Translator: Evarianus S, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.