Three killed in Indonesia as anti-government protests spread

Indonesian protesters set ablaze regional Parliament buildings in three provinces during continuing demonstrations on Aug 30, a day after three people were killed in violence that has presented a major test for President Prabowo Subianto.

- Raul Dancel

Parliamentary buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan city in Central Java and Cirebon city in West Java were set on fire by protesters, local media reported.

Detik.com said the protesters looted Parliament's office equipment in Cirebon, while police shot tear gas to disperse them in Pekalongan and West Nusa Tenggara.

Reuters could not confirm the media reports, and the authorities were not immediately available for comment.

Anti-government protesters also torched a council building in eastern Indonesia's Makassar city late on Aug 29, as public rage sparked by the death of a motorcycle taxi driver spreads across Indonesia.

"From last night's incident, three people died. Two died at the scene, and one died at the hospital. They were trapped in the burning building," Makassar city council secretary Rahmat Mappatoba told Agence France-Presse.

Online news site inilah.com said the head of the public welfare section of Ujung Tanah district and a member of the public order agency were among those who died. One of them was killed after he jumped out of the burning building from the fourth floor, the site reported.

The protesters set fire to dozens of vehicles parked outside the building with homemade fire bombs, newspaper Kompas reported. The blaze spread to the building while the parliamentary council of Makassar, the biggest city on Sulawesi island, was in session on the third floor.