As Jakarta recovers from post-election protests and riots, what comes next? (Indonesia Intelligencer May 18-24)
We’re sharing this special free edition of Indonesia Intelligencer, highlighting the election protests and rioting that rocked Jakarta the past few days, with all readers interested in getting caught up on the tumultuous events of this week. If you’re not yet a subscriber to Indonesia Intelligencer but would like to get more weekly roundups of the most essential news from Indonesia, you can use this link to sign up for a free one-month trial subscription.
Two days of protests, riots and chaos
Current security situation in the capital
Things have mostly returned to normal Friday after a night without further episodes of protests or rioting.
Most shopping centers and public transportation hubs near the center of the protests have reopened today. Public transportation services have also mostly resumed normal operations.
Authorities say there are no more plans for major protests, but police throughout the country have been instructed to remain on high alert for election-related protests until May 25.
A brief chronology of the chaos
Early on Tuesday morning, the General Election Commission (KPU) unexpectedly released the official results of the April 17 elections, a day before they were due.
The official results confirmed what had been predicted by polling and quick counts on the day of the election — a solid victory for President Joko Widodo, who captured 55.5% of the vote.
News also broke Tuesday morning that Prabowo had been named a treason suspect by the police, but authorities almost immediately declared that they had pulled their warrant for his investigation.
While Jokowi gave his victory speech Tuesday afternoon, Prabowo gave a competing oration reiterating that he would not accept the official election results. He also announced that his campaign would challenge the result in the Constitutional Court (a flip-flop from their position last week).
Several thousand people took part in protests throughout Tuesday that were centered around the offices of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). The protests were largely peaceful during the day, with demonstrators even breaking their fasts alongside police and dispersing in the evening when asked.
But late Tuesday night, police say a group of protesters, different from those during the day, entered the area and refused to leave, leading to clashes with the police, who retaliated with tear gas and rubber bullets. Rioting broke out in several parts of Central Jakarta, particularly the area of Tanah Abang, with some incidents continuing into the day Wednesday.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced Wednesday that six people had been killed in the riots, a number later confirmed by police.
Hoaxes and fake news about the riots proliferated on social media, with many accusing police of shooting protesters inside of mosques and authorities of using secret Chinese troops.
The government responded by throttling certain features on social media, with the goal being to make it harder to share photos and videos in order to contain the spread of misinformation.
Similar to the day before, Wednesday’s protests were largely peaceful during the day until police asked the crowds to disperse. Provocateurs tried to spark further clashes by attacking police, but authorities were largely praised for the restraint they showed.
Governor Anies said on Thursday that the death toll from the riots had risen to eight, including three teenagers, and 737 people were reportedly injured. However, police have only confirmed seven deaths.
Police looking for “mastermind” behind riots
The police say they arrested 442 rioters in total, classifying them separately from peaceful protesters and saying there is evidence that the majority of them came from outside of Jakarta and were paid to provoke authorities — evidence that includes envelopes stuffed with cash found on many of the suspects.
Although a few of the rioters have been confirmed to have suffered injuries from gunfire, including at least one fatality, police insist they did not use live ammo, only rubber bullets.
Officials said that several individuals had been arrested for attempting to smuggle guns intended for the riots, which they say would have been used on both security forces and protesters in order to spark further violence between the two sides.
Police also connected some of the rioters to the Islamic Reform Movement (GARIS), a group headed by Chep Hernawan, a business tycoon and supporter of Prabowo who has long been controversial for his previously unabashed support for the Islamic State.
Coordinating Minister for Politics of Law and Security Wiranto said on Thursday that the riots were done “by design” and that the police already know who the “mastermind” behind them is and will deal with them according to the law.
Prabowo and his campaigners slink to Constitutional Court
Prabowo Subianto and his campaigners have consistently refused to take any responsibility for the riots, saying they were caused not by their supporters but agent provocateurs. They also note that Prabowo made several statements urging his supporters to act peacefully and within the law.
Prabowo’s camp is set to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court today challenging the election results. The deadline for filing such a lawsuit is also today.
Analysts agree Prabowo’s lawsuit has almost no chance in court as his campaign has been unable to produce any credible evidence of the massive voter fraud conspiracy they have been pushing since before the election.
A spokesperson for the court said that Prabowo’s legal challenge would not be heard until after the Eid al-Fitr holiday and would likely be completed by late June.
Political fallout
Following the announcement of the official election results from the KPU, there are further indications that several political parties that had been in Prabowo’s opposition coalition will be switching to Jokowi’s side.
Democratic Party scion Agus Yudhoyono, son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, met with Jokowi on Wednesday to congratulate the president on his win and express his and his father’s “full support,” all but confirming speculation that the Democrats will be leaving Prabowo after their tepid support for him during the election.
The National Awakening Party (PAN) also broke with Prabowo’s coalition to acknowledge Jokowi’s victory.
For more on how the results of the presidential and legislative elections will shape Indonesia’s political future, we recommend you read this piece by Coconuts Jakarta managing editor Andra Nasrie.
Recommended reads
Indonesia’s election riots are under control – and one man is taking credit (SCMP)
Indonesia’s security forces have won praise for the restraint shown in dealing with Tuesday’s post-election riot, and one man in particular is receiving credit – Tito Karnavian.
The country’s police chief has a reputation as an elite strategist – a quality on full display as his officers geared up for the unrest in Jakarta after the result of Indonesia’s presidential poll was announced.
Jakarta bruised but Prabowo’s wrecking likely to fail (Indonesia at Melbourne)
The violent protests against the official announcement of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s re-election as Indonesian president this week mark the culmination of a months-long campaign by losing candidate Prabowo Subianto to discredit the poll.
As Dirk Tomsa and I wrote in April, the Prabowo camp made claims of cheating and manipulation well before election day on 17 April, in the face of public opinion polls that consistently showed them headed for defeat. Calls for “people power” if Prabowo was “cheated” out of victory were a repetitive feature of the last weeks of the campaign. But despite the mayhem caused in Jakarta, this week’s protests seem unlikely to alter what appears to be broad public acceptance of the election result.
Indonesia: don’t over-react to Jakarta violence (The Interpreter)
The international media has rushed to dub this the worst political violence in decades. Commentators have warned that these riots, and the attempts to instigate a “people power” movement by Prabowo’s team, represent a fundamental challenge to Indonesian democracy. And the government of re-elected President Joko Widodo responded by, for the first time, restricting access to popular social networking platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, in an effort to stop the spread of incendiary messages and fake news.
As the debris is cleaned from Jakarta’s streets, all concerned need to reflect in a more measured manner.
What to expect from Widodo 2.0 (Asia Times)
Confirming he will carry out a limited Cabinet reshuffle after the annual post-Ramadan holidays, President Joko Widodo has offered a tantalizing clue to the most intriguing question of all: Will Indonesia see a very different president in his second term?
“In five years’ time I will have no more burden. I can’t be re-elected again, so whatever I do will be for the benefit of the country,” he said recently in what may have been a sign of a new resolve, free of the political restraints that have marked his policies so far.
Business
Eid’s in, banking’s out: An annual reminder that Bank Indonesia (BI), Indonesia’s central bank, will be closed from June 3-7 for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. During this time, BI won’t operate its national clearing system and cash service, among others, while the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar will be based on the rate published before the break.
BRI tops all: BRI (Bank Rakyat Indonesia) remains the largest public company in Indonesia, according to a ranking of the 2,000 largest companies in the world compiled by Forbes. The state-owned bank came in at 363rd, making it the highest-placed among any Indonesian enterprise, a spot it has held since 2015.
Still not cleared for take-off
The Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was grounded worldwide following the Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October and another crash in Ethiopia in March, will likely remain grounded in Indonesia beyond this year, the country’s regulators say.
Indonesian regulators say they will make their own determination on whether or not the MAX 8 can be cleared to fly in the country even if the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clears the jet first.
Made in iNdonesia:
Rumors are gaining steam that Apple will start producing iPads and Macbook laptops in Indonesia as a result of the US’ trade war with China.
Apple and its key suppliers, Foxconn and Pegatron, have reportedly begun moving their supply chains outside China by making financial and land investments in India, Vietnam and Indonesia.
It looks like Pegatron is ready to begin assembling the popular iPad and Macbook devices in Indonesia, specifically Batam, as early as June, which was all but confirmed by local manufacturing subcontractor PT Sat Nusapersada.
Luxury ride-share: Singapore-based Grab says it will launch a luxury ride-sharing service, which will see them utilize relatively high-end cars like the Toyota Innova and Fortuner, as well as “more hospitable” drivers, in Indonesia this year. The premium service will be mostly aimed at corporations who may want to hail more comfortable rides for their clients.
Recommended reads
Indonesian stocks are having a bad year. It could get worse (Bloomberg):
Political instability and security risks ahead of the announcement of presidential election results on Wednesday may put further pressure on Indonesian stocks, already the second worst-performing major market in Asia this year.
Indonesia’s debt binge takes a leaf from China (The Washington Post)
Indonesia was never keen to be part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. That hasn’t stopped it from embracing the Chinese way when it comes to financing roads and railways.
Bank Indonesia governor caps a year of trials with the test of a trade war (Bloomberg)
Perry Warjiyo’s first year at the helm of Indonesia’s central bank has been a baptism of fire. His second isn’t likely to be any calmer.
Other News and Notable Features
Meliana freed:
Meliana, the Indonesian-Chinese woman who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for blasphemy for complaining about the volume of her neighborhood mosque’s loudspeaker, has been released on parole after serving almost a year behind bars.
Meiliana was eligible for parole, having served two-thirds of her sentence. The Supreme Court upheld her highly-criticized conviction in April.
Policeman fired for being gay faces roadblock in discrimination case
A former Indonesian police officer, identified by his initials TT, who was dishonorably discharged from the Central Java Police force for being gay is mounting a first-of-its-kind legal challenge to his firing on the grounds of discrimination
However, TT has already faced a legal setback after the Administrative Court (PTUN) of Semarang rejected his case on technical grounds. His lawyers said they would keep fighting despite the initial dismissal.
Top Coconuts News
