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Indonesia riots: six dead after protesters clash with troops over election result | Indonesia riots: six dead after protesters clash with troops over election result |
(32 minutes later) | |
Six people are dead and more than 200 injured, according to Jakarta’s governor, after protesters clashed with security forces and set fire to a police dormitory and vehicles in the Indonesian capital Jakarta following the release of official election results. | |
Protests by supporters of an unsuccessful presidential candidate turned violent late on Tuesday and continued through the night, said the national police spokesman, Dedi Prasetyo. Police said they had arrested 20 “provocateurs”. | |
The Jakarta governor, Anies Baswedan, said hospitals were conducting postmortems to determine the causes of the deaths. | |
Authorities are still investigating and are not willing to rule out the involvement of “third-party provocateurs”, said the police chief, Tito Karnavian. | |
Jakarta has been on edge in recent days amid simmering tensions over April’s presidential election. Official results on Tuesday confirmed the incumbent, President Joko Widodo, had won a second term with 55.5% of the vote. | |
His opponent, the fiery ex-special forces commander Prabowo Subianto, has refused to accept the result, alleging the poll was marred by widespread fraud – a claim his team has yet to produce compelling evidence to support. | |
Indonesian troops on alert as Widodo wins more than half of votes | Indonesian troops on alert as Widodo wins more than half of votes |
Indonesia’s security minister, Wiranto, said authorities would restrict access to social media in certain areas to prevent the spread of fake news. | |
Indonesia’s Kompas TV showed protesters throwing rocks, a paramilitary police dormitory on fire, and hundreds of riot police in a central Jakarta neighbourhood. One man reportedly died after sustaining a gunshot wound in the melee, according to Tirto.id, an Indonesian news website. | |
Prasetyo said police were checking on reports of casualties, but stressed that security officers on the ground, which include military personnel, were not equipped with live bullets. | Prasetyo said police were checking on reports of casualties, but stressed that security officers on the ground, which include military personnel, were not equipped with live bullets. |
A police spokesman said police used teargas and water cannon against protesters who threw rocks, molotov cocktails and burning projectiles. | |
The opposition said on Tuesday it would contest the result in court, a repeat move of Prabowo’s unsuccessful bid for president in 2014. | |
In recent weeks key figures in the Prabowo camp have called for “people power” as a response to the electoral outcome, with at least two associated figures facing treason charges as a result. | In recent weeks key figures in the Prabowo camp have called for “people power” as a response to the electoral outcome, with at least two associated figures facing treason charges as a result. |
More than 30,000 troops have been deployed to secure the Indonesian capital ahead of a planned protest, with some government offices and schools closed as a precaution. | More than 30,000 troops have been deployed to secure the Indonesian capital ahead of a planned protest, with some government offices and schools closed as a precaution. |
A major commuter train station in the area was temporarily shut, and roads blocked off in parts of the sprawling city. Some shopping malls, businesses and schools were also closed. | |
Tensions have been exacerbated by a string of recent arrests of terrorist suspects, who police say had planned to create chaos by bombing the post-election protests. | Tensions have been exacerbated by a string of recent arrests of terrorist suspects, who police say had planned to create chaos by bombing the post-election protests. |
Police on Tuesday arrested a former general for allegedly smuggling weapons to the protest, and authorities confiscated molotov cocktails from one minibus of Prabowo supporters travelling to the capital from Java. | |
As of Wednesday morning protesters had started to gather outside the building of the elections supervisory agency. | |
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