The Japan Times - Indonesia protest blaze kills 3 as anger erupts over driver's death

Southeast Asia's biggest economy was rocked by protests in major cities, including the capital Jakarta, on Friday after footage spread of a motorcycle taxi driver being run over by a police tactical vehicle during an earlier rally against low wages and financial perks for lawmakers.

The protests are the biggest and most violent of Prabowo Subianto's presidency, a key test for the ex-general less than a year into his rule.

Protests in Makassar, the biggest city on the eastern island of Sulawesi, descended into chaos outside the provincial and city council buildings, which were both set on fire as demonstrators hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Three people were killed as a result of Friday's Makassar city council fire, its secretary Rahmat Mappatoba told AFP.

"They were trapped in the burning building," he said, accusing protesters of lighting the blaze.

"Usually during a demonstration, protesters only throw rocks or burn a tyre in front of the office. They never stormed into the building or burned it."

Two workers died at the scene and a third person, a civil servant, died in hospital.

At least four people were injured in the fire and were being treated in hospital, Rahmat said.

Hundreds of people were seen in footage posted by Indonesian media cheering and clapping as fire engulfed the building, with few security forces in sight.

One man was heard shouting: "There are people upstairs!"

In footage verified by AFP, smouldering debris was seen falling from the roof of the city council building surrounded by palm trees as flames still flickered in charred cars.

Protesters inside lit several fires as parts of the building collapsed, while others smashed glass and chanted "revolution".

The building was a blackened wreck by Saturday, with dozens of charred cars around it, as Makassar residents inspected the scene, media footage showed.

Windiyatno, South Sulawesi's military chief, said in a statement on Saturday that the situation in Makassar had "now returned to normal".

- 'Police crimes' -

Protesters gathered again on Saturday in different areas of Indonesia's vast archipelago.

Hundreds of students and "ojek" motorcycle taxi drivers protested in front of the police headquarters in Bali, Indonesia's most popular tourist hotspot.

"Bali is the centre of tourism in Indonesia, and we want to protest here to gain international attention about the legal injustice, corruption, and the impunity of police crimes," protester Narendra Wicaksono told AFP.

Protesters on neighbouring Lombok island stormed a council building in the provincial capital Mataram and set it on fire, despite police attempts to stop them with tear gas.

Hundreds of students in Surabaya also rallied outside the East Java police headquarters, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

In Jakarta, hundreds had massed on Friday outside the headquarters of the elite Mobile Brigade Corp (Brimob) paramilitary police unit they blamed for motorcycle gig driver Affan Kurniawan's death the day before.

Protesters threw firecrackers as police responded with tear gas.

Police said they had detained seven officers for questioning in connection with Affan's death.

National police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who is not related to the president, told a news conference on Saturday the officers would face an ethics trial that could take a week.

"If they are guilty, there's room for us to process the case as a crime," he said.

President Prabowo has urged calm, and ordered an investigation into the driver's death and that the officers involved be held accountable.

He said on Friday the government was "committed to guaranteeing the livelihood" of the driver's family, posting images on social media with them at their home.

The president has pledged fast, state-driven growth but has already faced protests against widespread government budget cuts to fund his populist policies, including a billion-dollar free meal programme.

S.Suzuki--JT