Dear friends,
An ojol (motorcycle taxi) driver was killed tonight in Jakarta after being struck by a police car during the protests. His death is more than an accident – it is the cost of living under unjust policies. I can’t stop thinking: it could have been me, it could have been any of us.
The protests erupted after Indonesia’s parliament approved a scandalous housing allowance of Rp 50 million (USD 3,100) per month for each MP, while the minimum wage in Jakarta is only Rp 5.4 million (USD 33O). How can we survive in a country where lawmakers grant themselves luxuries worth nearly ten times the salary of an ordinary worker?
The fury on the streets is not only about parliament. It is also about the reckless, cruel policies under President Prabowo Subianto:
- Billions of dollars wasted on fighter jets and submarines while millions remain poor and hungry.
- Rising food prices because of mismanaged imports, which are crushing families who already struggle to eat.
- Authoritarian attempts to silence critics and shrink our democratic space.
- Endless elitist perks for officials, while hospitals, schools, and public transport are left behind.
This is why people are angry. This is why people are afraid.
Tonight, when an ojol driver lost his life, I felt that fear in my bones. Because if the state refuses to protect us, and instead protects only its elites, then none of us are safe.
I am angry, furious, that our lives are treated as disposable. I am afraid that tomorrow more people will die simply for demanding dignity.
I ask you, my international friends, please don’t look away. Indonesia is not only facing a crisis of policy—it is facing a crisis of justice, of humanity, of democracy itself. Spread this awareness. Let the world know what is happening here.
Because silence will only mean more lives lost.“
