JAKARTA, Sept 4 — Indonesia's military has conducted daily large-scale patrols across Greater Jakarta since Sunday (August 31) to restore peace and public order following unrest sparked by lawmakers' controversial allowance hike.
Troops have been deployed three times a day — at 1am, 10am, and 8pm — using motorbikes, tactical vehicles, trucks, and escort cars to ensure security in the capital and its surrounding areas.
Lieutenant Colonel Erly Merlian, who led the operation, said the patrols would continue until the situation is fully stabilised and Jakarta has completely returned to normal.
He said that conditions during earlier patrols and last night were calm, with residents continuing their normal routines, including going to work, shopping, and other daily activities.
“Jakarta is back to a stable and safe state, but it still requires joint efforts to maintain this. With the right measures and broad participation, the city can preserve this positive situation,” Colonel Erly said.
Yesterday night, hundreds of soldiers fanned out from the National Monument, passing Gambir Train Station, Masjid Istiqlal, Senen Market, the Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout, as well as the Sudirman and Kuningan business districts, before completing their patrols at around 11.30pm.
Soldiers, deployed to show presence, greeted residents, broadcast safety messages from loudspeakers mounted on pickup trucks, and spoke with people in crowded districts.
The unrest began after a police tactical vehicle ran over a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi rider while dispersing demonstrators on August 28.
Subsequently, riots and vandalism at legislative buildings and police facilities in the capital spread to other cities, with at least 10 people confirmed dead during the unrest.
In the latest development, the police officer driving the vehicle that struck the rider was dismissed from the force by its internal ethics tribunal.
