Hundreds of women dressed in pink joined protests in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta today. They waved brooms as a symbol of their calls for reform. Protest organiser- The Alliance of Indonesian Women said that the broom symbolised a need to sweep the state’s dirt and the repressiveness of security forces. Protests involving students, workers and rights groups began in Jakarta, spreading nationwide after a police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle taxi driver on last Thursday night. Rights groups say 10 people have died in the demonstrations, which have sparked some looting and rioting and which have been met with tear gas and rubber bullets by police.
President Prabowo Subianto has earlier said the military and police would stand firm against violent mobs. He today attended the military parade in China. Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, deputy parliament speaker and a senior member of Prabowo’s political party, said parliament will evaluate members’ benefits, impose a moratorium on overseas trips and introduce reforms to improve transparency. He added that the students will be given a chance to convey their demands directly to the government tommorrow.
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