Protests in Jakarta ahead of new MPs swearing-in ceremony
JAKARTA: Street demonstrations and riots took place again outside the Indonesian Parliament building yesterday, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of parliamentarians today, with rioters destroying public property outside the building.
However, the situation was reported to be under control at around 9pm yesterday.
The street demonstrations and riots had earlier caused public transport system in Jakarta to be severely affected, with traffic congestion everywhere, after police closed a number of main roads in the Indonesian parliamentary constituency of Senayan, Jakarta.
The riots followed the street demonstrations staged by thousands of school and university students on Sept 24 and 25 against the amendment of a criminal code, which would weaken the country’s anti-corruption commission, restrict human rights and protect the political interest of certain parties.
President Joko Widodo had ordered the postponement of the proposed code on Sept 20, but it did not stop the students from staging the demonstrations.
Over 300 of them have been arrested so far.
Bernama
