Will the ‘Dark Indonesia’ protests against Prabowo’s austerity cuts escalate further?

Nationwide student-led protests in Indonesia against austerity measures have emerged as the first major political challenge for President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, with analysts warning that public discontent could escalate if economic conditions deteriorate.

Thousands of students in cities across the country took to the streets last week to take part in what has been dubbed the Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia) protests, culminating in a mass demonstration outside the presidential palace in Jakarta on Thursday.

The protests marked the first significant test of Prabowo’s leadership since the former military general took office four months ago. The rally in Jakarta, which continued into Friday, turned violent as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, according to local newspaper The Jakarta Post

At the heart of the protests are Prabowo’s controversial budget cuts, particularly to education and infrastructure, aimed at funding his flagship initiatives, such as his free meal programme for schoolchildren and expecting mothers – an initiative projected to cost US$28 billion annually – and the country’s newly launched sovereign wealth fund, Danantara.

To fund these programmes, Prabowo announced in early January ministry budget cuts totalling 306.7 trillion rupiah (US$18.7 billion), including measures ranging from scrapping infrastructure projects to restricting air conditioner use in government buildings.

  

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