Student Protests Erupt in Indonesia Over Rising Living Costs, Forest Fires

Student protests erupted across Indonesia on Tuesday over rising living costs, economic worries and forest fires, with demonstrators criticising President Prabowo Subianto’s policies on the second anniversary of his administration, The Jakarta Post reported. Demonstrations were held in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bandung in West Java, where students and civil society groups raised concerns about economic pressure, environmental damage and civil liberties.

In Jakarta, hundreds of university students gathered around the Tugu Tani monument. They called for action on the rising cost of living and on the government’s handling of forest and peatland fires, which have produced toxic haze, disrupted flights, forced schools to close and raised public health concerns.

Their demands include declaring the prolonged fires a national disaster, prosecuting companies responsible for the environmental damage, tackling corruption and making education and healthcare more affordable. They also want stronger protection for freedom of expression. According to RT, protesters also set a police truck on fire during the unrest.

THE FIRES AND THE HAZE

Indonesia has struggled to contain fires in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua during an unusually severe dry season driven by El Niño. The haze has drifted to neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia, prompting concern over air quality and public health in the region, The Jakarta Post reported.

THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE

Presidential Chief of Staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo said that President Prabowo chaired a limited meeting at Merdeka Palace on Monday to discuss speeding up efforts against the fires. In a post on X, he said the President had told authorities to strengthen aerial operations and improve coordination among the armed forces, the National Police, the National Disaster Management Agency, local governments and communities.

The President also called for faster investigations into 98 corporate cases suspected of links to forest and land fires. Listyo said his office would oversee the government’s response and make sure law enforcement action was based on evidence and followed the applicable regulations.

GREENPEACE STUNT

Separately, Greenpeace Indonesia activists climbed the Welcome Monument at Jakarta’s Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Tuesday and unfurled large banners protesting what they called the government’s failure to deal with persistent wildfires, The Jakarta Post reported.

With inputs from ANI