JAKARTA: A 30 percent increase in petroleum products in Indonesia has sparked protests across the country, with angry people arson and rioting.
.jpg)
There were also clashes between angry protesters and police in the Indonesian cities of Surabaya, Makassar, Kendari, H and Yogyakarta. The police resorted to lathi charge, on which the protesters pelted stones and set fire to the police van.
A large number of students participate in these demonstrations. The opposition parties and protesters also demanded the government to immediately roll back the hike in petrol prices.
On the other hand, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the decision to increase petrol prices by 30% was made under difficult circumstances. The government had no choice. It is impossible to subsidize rising global prices.
It should be noted that for many years in Indonesia, the government has been giving huge subsidies on petroleum prices to provide relief to the people, but now suddenly it has been increased by 30%.