Thousands take to streets, military deployed to Jakarta

AWANI

Thousands of Indonesians continued to protest across the country on Monday, amid military presence and defying fears of a crackdown that has left at least eight dead.

Transcript

00:00Thousands of Indonesians continued demonstrations across the country today,

00:04defying fears of a crackdown that has left at least eight dead.

00:09Police set up checkpoints across the capital Jakarta

00:11while the military has been deployed to conduct city-wide patrols.

00:16Protests began a week ago against the government's enhanced perks for politicians,

00:21but escalated into looting and riots after a delivery rider was killed

00:27after he was struck by a police-armored vehicle.

00:31Demonstrators have looted the homes of senior officials

00:34and torched regional parliament buildings over the weekend.

00:37President Prabowo Subianto announced last night

00:40that parliament had agreed to revoke the controversial privileges for lawmakers

00:45and added that party chiefs will remove errant lawmakers from their seats.

00:51He, however, warned that violence would not be tolerated

00:54and instructed the police and military to take firm action.

01:02Indonesia's central bank says it will defend a rupiah through currency intervention,

01:07even as nationwide protests have spurred selling in the currency and stocks.

01:11The rupiah, which fell nearly 1% against the US dollar last week,

01:16strengthened slightly after the central bank pledged intervention

01:19to keep it in line with economic fundamentals.

01:21The main stock index fell more than 3% in early trades before regaining some ground.

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