Women’s groups gather in front of parliament in Indonesia amid protests

Amnesty International has said the expanding fig of deaths from the authorities crackdown is ‘alarming’

About 300 members of the Indonesian Women’s Alliance (API) person rallied extracurricular parliament successful the superior Jakarta, demanding an extremity to authorities unit and the withdrawal of the subject from civilian information duties.

The objection connected Wednesday comes aft a week of unrest that has killed astatine slightest 10 people, which began erstwhile a motorcycle taxi operator was killed connected August 28, aft being tally implicit by an armoured constabulary conveyance driven adjacent crowds successful Jakarta.

The incidental triggered wide choler that has since escalated into nationwide protests implicit debased wages, rising taxes and lawmakers’ pay.

The rallies forced President Prabowo Subianto to backtrack connected plans to summation benefits for members of parliament, portion helium besides ordered the subject and constabulary to instrumentality enactment against rioters and looters aft authorities buildings and homes of governmental enactment members were ransacked oregon acceptable connected fire.

The unrest continued connected Tuesday arsenic police fired teardrop gas and rubber bullets astatine protesters adjacent 2 universities successful the metropolis of Bandung, according to pupil groups and authorities. The clashes brought the decease toll from the demonstrations to astatine slightest 10 people.

At Wednesday’s rally successful Jakarta, API leaders called connected Prabowo to halt the usage of the subject and constabulary against civilians and to retreat soldiers from information operations.

They urged the president, Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and National Armed Forces Commander Agus Subiyanto to propulsion backmost troops deployed alongside police. The radical besides demanded the resignation of National Police Chief Listyo Sigit and the merchandise of each detainees held without charge.

The confederation denounced the criminalisation of dissent, urging authorities to halt targeting citizens, activists, journalists and ineligible assistance workers and to escaped each those detained.

They besides called for an extremity to the military’s relation successful civilian affairs, saying troops should instrumentality to the barracks, and pressed the authorities to warrant the close of Indonesians to assemble, subordinate and protestation peacefully without intimidation oregon violence.

Amnesty International has condemned the crackdown. “The expanding fig of deaths from the crackdown connected protests successful Jakarta and different regions successful Indonesia is alarming. Nobody should dice portion exercising their close to state of look and peaceful assembly,” said Montse Ferrer, Amnesty’s lawman determination probe director.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies