Shades of Unrest: Indonesians Take to the Streets in Pink and Green, in Growing Threat To Government
NEED TO KNOW
Shades of Unrest: Indonesians Take to the Streets in Pink and Green, in Growing Threat To Government
INDONESIA
Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, was on his shift in late August delivering food orders and ferrying passengers in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta when a police vehicle plowed into him as it chased protesters.
Kurniawan’s death on Aug. 28 and the fury that followed as videos of the incident spread online caused ongoing unrest across Indonesia to explode: What began as relatively peaceful protests in Jakarta against lawmakers’ hefty allowances a few days before expanded across the country to include anger at growing economic disparities, military involvement in civilian life, a crackdown on the opposition and dissent, and the seeming indifference of the government to the average Indonesian’s economic plight.
Now, in spite of legislators and the president taking measures to appease protesters, the demonstrations continued, turning violent, killing at least 10 people, with thousands more injured and at least 3,000 detained. Cities across Indonesia have been hit with rioting, looting, and arson attacks, especially on the residences of politicians and government buildings around the country.
“The unrest is a crucial test for Prabowo Subianto, a former general who won a landslide victory in last year’s presidential election and who has little patience for dissent,” wrote the Economist.
These latest demonstrations in the country sparked over a $3,075 monthly housing allowance that 580 members of parliament have been receiving since September 2024, after reports of the payments leaked recently. The amount is almost 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta, 20 times the monthly minimum wage in poorer Indonesian regions.
As a result, thousands of students, workers, and activists began protesting outside the parliament on Aug. 25, the Guardian reported. Riot police responded with water cannon and teargas, and excessive force.
Protesters say they are frustrated with what they call “corrupt elites” within the government setting policies that benefit the wealthy and connected, businesses, and the military, while ordinary Indonesians struggle economically. Inflation on key staples and unemployment, especially regarding the young, have increased over the past few years.
“The growing gap between the rich and poor in Indonesia provides an easily combustible dry-hay situation,” Achmad Sukarsono of consultancy Control Risks, told Reuters. “Policies that fail to consider social sensitivities like the perks for parliamentarians then turn into matchsticks.”
The protests echoed those that broke out in spring when thousands of Indonesians, led by students in the “Indonesia Gelap” (Dark Indonesia) movement, took to the streets against the massive budget cuts introduced by Subianto.
University students in Indonesia have long been regarded as the guardians of the country’s democracy, having taken a leading role in the demonstrations that ousted authoritarian President Suharto in 1998.
Still, the current demonstrations have widened to include other groups and sectors in the country of 285 million. The country’s unions, for example, have joined the protests, calling for increased wages. In another example, hundreds of women clad in pink “for bravery,” joined the protests, wielding broomsticks symbolizing their desire to “sweep away the dirt of the state, militarism and police repression.”
Other groups joined, marking the death of the motorcycle taxi driver by donning bright green jackets and other apparel – Affan Kurniawan was wearing that color when he died. Thousands of gig workers, including motorcycle delivery people, took to the streets of Jakarta last week, calling for better working conditions and the resignation of Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi.
“We need widespread reform in Indonesia, the system needs to change,” a protester named Afifah told Al Jazeera. “There needs to be total reform, and it needs to involve all parts of society.”
The government, meanwhile, has tried to calm the protests. It rescinded the living allowance for legislators and other perks, while Subianto promised tough action against the officers responsible for the death of the motorcycle driver. He also reshuffled his Cabinet, removing five long-serving ministers.
While doing “damage control,” however, he has also said the protests constitute “treason and terrorism.”
It’s not enough, say protesters, who have created a list of demands known as the “17+8”: The demands include enhanced budget transparency, higher salaries, the freezing of lawmakers’ wages and allowances, as well as an independent investigation into human rights violations and the halting of military involvement in civilian security, explained ABC Australia.
The growing role of the military in civilian life has sparked deep concern in the country. In March, Indonesia passed a law allowing the military to take on more civilian government jobs without having to resign their commissions or retire. A few months later, the government announced that the military would start manufacturing medicines for public distribution. Critics call the move illegal under military law.
Now, some worry that Indonesia might return to its authoritarian past, not least because of its leader’s controversial human rights record and his moves to diminish the political opposition. Already, the president has put loyalists into his cabinet, while playing for time, analysts said.
“Prabowo is using the moment to slowly consolidate his political power by erasing Jokowi’s influence,” Virdika Rizky Utama of Indonesian think tank PARA Syndicate, told Agence France-Presse, referring to the president’s popular predecessor.
He added that without addressing the root causes of the public’s anger, it’s just a matter of time before there are bigger protests: “This (is) a time bomb… If things pile up, it will blow up.”
THE WORLD, BRIEFLY
France, the UK, and Other Western Nations Recognize the State of Palestine
ISRAEL / WEST BANK & GAZA
France formally recognized the state of Palestine on Monday, a day after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal did so, in a major policy shift that supporters say could reenergize a two-state track even as critics warn it rewards Hamas and deepens a rift with Israel, the BBC reported.
On Monday, Paris announced the recognition at the United Nations in New York, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying “the time for peace has come” and that “nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza.”
France’s decision, along with that of the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, is a historical shift that reverses decades of full support of Israel and breaks sharply with the United States, analysts said.
Meanwhile, other European states say they are considering such a move.
The recognition reflects mounting international alarm over Israel’s 23-month war in Gaza, which has left more than 65,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health officials, and has pushed parts of the territory into famine.
After months of mass pro-Palestinian protests in the UK, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said recognition was needed to move from “intolerable” destruction in Gaza toward “a viable Palestinian state,” insisting it was “not a reward for Hamas,” according to the Washington Post.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also framed the step as a “categorical rejection” of Hamas.
In a Sunday interview, Macron also spoke about a phased plan that would isolate Hamas: The proposal would involve an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza, followed by stabilization and reconstruction in the territory, and finally “the perspective of two states.”
Other European countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, and Malta, are expected to join the wave of recognitions, a move that also highlights the European Union’s growing disapproval of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Last week, European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen called for an end to “the horrific events taking place in Gaza on a daily basis.”
More than 140 countries already recognize Palestinian statehood, and the UN granted the governing Palestinian Authority non-member observer status in 2012.
Still, Germany and Italy, as well as other EU states such as Hungary are not on board.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday that recognition “comes more at the end of the process,” though “this process must begin now.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration – a steadfast backer of Israel – has ruled out recognizing a Palestinian state.
Despite the Italian government’s stance, tens of thousands of protestors marched in dozens of Italian cities Monday, while strikes brought trains and highway transport to a halt after unions called a nationwide walkout in support of Palestinians in Gaza and in protest of Israel’s Gaza City offensive. Italian dockworkers also blocked access roads to ports in Genoa, Livorno, and Trieste, Reuters added. The protesters want the Italian government to suspend commercial and military cooperation agreements with Israel, and to protect a flotilla of 60 boats crossing the Mediterranean carrying aid to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israel reacted sharply to the recognitions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting Sunday that there would be “no Palestinian state,” adding that those recognizing it are rewarding Hamas and its allies for their assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, an attack that triggered the war.
That attack saw around 1,200 people killed and more than 250 others taken hostage.
Far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s cabinet also escalated calls to annex the occupied West Bank, wrote the Financial Times.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said “the days when the UK and other countries determined our future are over,” while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged the “complete dismantling” of the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli officials have discussed plans to annex parts of the West Bank, despite international criticism.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK has been “clear” Israel “must not do that,” while the United Arab Emirates – which has normalized ties with Israel – has warned annexation is a “red line,” and threatened to upend diplomatic relations with Israel.
Analysts noted that, for Palestinians, recognition clarifies their struggle as one of sovereignty. Still, they stressed that the impact may remain largely symbolic.
Full statehood will also depend on a vote in the UN Security Council, where the US plans to veto such proposals.
Others noted that without concrete follow-ups to pressure Israel – such as limiting arm sales or restricting trade – the recognition may deepen Israel’s isolation while doing little to alter realities on the ground.
Treason Trial Opens for South Sudan’s Suspended Vice President
SOUTH SUDAN
South Sudan’s suspended First Vice President Riek Machar appeared in court Monday in the capital of Juba for the opening day of his trial on multiple charges, including treason, with some worried that the prosecution of a key leader in the country may spark a return to civil war, Reuters reported.
Monday marked the first time that Machar, who appeared in a cage alongside his co-defendants, was seen in public since he was placed under house arrest in March for their alleged involvement in raids by the ethnic Nuer-dominated White Army militia in the northeast earlier this year, which resulted in clashes with the army.
His detention sparked fears of a renewal of the civil war between his Nuer forces and Dinka fighters, who are loyal to South Sudan President Salva Kiir, a longtime rival.
Kiir suspended Machar from his post earlier this month.
Besides treason, Machar and 20 other individuals are also charged with crimes against humanity, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property and military assets, Reuters wrote. Machar’s SPLM-IO party has rejected the charges against him and the others.
In opening remarks, a lawyer for Machar opposed the trial by what he described as “an incompetent court” that lacks jurisdiction, the Associated Press reported.
The defense argued that Machar cannot be criminally charged without endangering the intent of a 2018 peace agreement between Machar and Kiir to end the 2013-2018 civil war between their rival forces. That peace deal laid the basis for the transitional government in which Machar has been serving as first vice president.
One of Machar’s lawyers described the court as “unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, and void,” arguing that Machar maintained the immunity of a sitting vice president.
Kiir and Machar led the rebel movement that secured South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011. Analysts say there is a long history of animosity between the two going back three decades, even as they have worked together to secure independence and govern.
However, they add that this animosity has grown over the years as Machar has waited his turn to become president, even as Kiir has held on to his post. Presidential elections in South Sudan have been repeatedly delayed.
Thousands Rally in Brazil Against Potential Amnesty Bill for Bolsonaro
BRAZIL
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Brazil on Sunday to protest against measures that would boost lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution and also grant amnesty to former President Jair Bolsonaro and others who have been convicted of plotting a coup to remain in power following an election loss, MercoPress reported.
Protesters marched in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador, carrying signs reading, “Congress, enemy of the people,” and “shameless.” Many chanted “no amnesty,” and shouted “prison for Bolsonaro.”
The protests followed the lower house of the legislature’s decision to fast-track the amnesty bill, which still needs approval by a majority of the legislators in that house before moving on to the Senate.
The legislation, pushed by Bolsonaro’s allies in the legislature, which is controlled by conservatives, is currently aimed at those individuals who vandalized government buildings on Jan. 8, 2023, during an attempted takeover by Bolsonaro supporters. However, some are worried the bill could be expanded to cover other individuals convicted of plotting a coup, including Bolsonaro.
The former president was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison earlier this month and will remain under house arrest until all appeals are exhausted, the BBC wrote.
The other bill, which would amend the constitution and was passed in the lower house, would make it harder to criminally prosecute lawmakers: For a lawmaker to be charged or arrested, members of Congress would need to give their approval in a secret ballot.
Critics call it the “Banditry Bill,” while Congress members who are in favor of it say it is necessary to protect them from what they call “judicial overreach.” The amendment will now move on to the Senate.
Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he supported the demonstrations, writing on X that he will veto the amnesty bill if passed by the Senate.
DISCOVERIES
Thumbs for Thoughts
From carving stones to swiping screens, humans have always been considered special thanks to the dexterity of their hands.
Now, new research analyzing both fossils and living animals has linked bigger brains with longer thumbs across 94 different primate species, from lemurs to humans.
“For the first time we have been able to link two of the most distinctive features of humans, hand anatomy and brain size,” study author Robert Barton said in a statement. “These are key features that enable humans and other primates to literally grasp and manipulate their world.”
Humans and their extinct relatives stand out for having both unusually long thumbs, useful for gripping small objects precisely, and remarkably large brains.
“Large brains and dexterous hands are considered pivotal in human evolution, together making possible technology, culture, and colonization of diverse environments,” the researchers wrote.
Yet, this relationship is not unique to the human lineage, as research found that even when human data were excluded from the analysis, the correlation between thumb length and brain size persisted.
Researchers expected longer thumbs to be linked to the cerebellum, a brain region highly involved in movement and coordination.
Instead, the neocortex is the part of the brain connected with longer thumbs. This is a complex, layered brain region that makes up roughly half of the human brain’s volume and which communicates with the cerebellum to jointly coordinate behavior using sensory information, the statement explained. Scientists were surprised to find that only one of the two major brain regions they expected to be involved in the growth process actually was.
“We’ve always known that our big brains and nimble fingers set us apart, but now we can see they didn’t evolve separately,” study author Joanna Baker said in another statement. “As our ancestors got better at picking up and manipulating objects, their brains had to grow to handle these new skills. These abilities have been fine-tuned through millions of years of brain evolution.”