Cashiered former general Prabowo Subianto was elected president of Indonesia last year on a contradictory campaign image.

One side showed a soft, caring grandpa, friend of the wong kecil (wee folk). The flip side promoted an urbane statesman who’d lift his country’s international status as the world’s third-largest democracy.

With a UK- and US-educated toughie at the top, he’d make the West sit up and respect a peaceful secular nation with more Muslims than any other state.

A common social media comment during the election was “give the guy a go” as he’d been endorsed by his predecessor. Popular mild-mannered seventh president Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo was constitutionally barred from a third five-year term.

All positive images of Indonesia have been incinerated in the flames of firebombed government buildings in Makassar (South Sulawesi), Bandung (West Java), and other cities in the sprawling country, as running street riots have got out of control, terrifying tourists and locals.

So far, three alleged rioters have died, scores have been injured, properties damaged, and possessions looted. Reported among the targets has been a home of the long-serving US-educated Finance Minister Dr Sri Mulyani, a well-respected economist overseas.

Other private houses linked to lawmakers have been firebombed and ransacked despite pleas for calm from religious leaders and others, suggesting that the police and army have been unable to control the leaderless mobs outnumbering security forces.

That’s always been the situation in a country where the police are “ the least trusted law enforcement institution … seen as corrupt and prone to being co-opted by short-term political interests".

TV coverage of the rioters has shown young men armed with staves, throwing rocks and fireworks. Fortunately guns are rare in Indonesia. It’s impossible to tell how many are rent-a-mob, or involved for heartfelt reasons.

Responses have been tear gas, fire hoses, batons and mass arrests – more than 600 at last count.

The tone changed badly when a Brimob (Mobile Brigade) armoured car mowed down and killed a 21-year-old motorbike courier, Affan Kurniawan. It’s a casual edge-of-survival job that attracts thousands and is popular with the poorly educated and those trying to escape farming.

This tragedy became the catalyst for more violence spreading to regional centres, including Bali. As with all autocracies, the government lashed out at the messengers.

Reuters reports that social media platforms have been told to “boost content moderation because disinformation had spread online. The government says that such disinformation has spurred protests”.

Australia and other countries have issued travel warnings, undermining the Republic’s campaign to attract more visitors to explore further than Bali and enrich the previously overlooked locals.

Prabowo’s policy of spending big on armaments has included 48 fighter jets from Türkiye for A$15.3 billion and a secret A$690 million agreement to buy and install missiles in the province of Kalimantan. This is on the island of Borneo, shared with Malaysia and Brunei, with a disputed ancient claim to territory by the Philippines.

Indonesia has a population of 285 million; it’s the richest country in Southeast Asia with a GNP regularly above 5%. It has no known enemies, though Prabowo regularly hints that foreigners have their eyes on the nation’s resources, and that human rights and similar disputes are engineered by jealous overseas NGOs.

No names, dates or proof. It’s the Trump technique of generating xenophobia. He’s also expanding the army’s reach and numbers, putting retired generals in civilian roles. His reasoning: “No nation can remain independent without a powerful defence force.”

Getting involved in an expensive ego-boosting arms race sits uncomfortably with a popular election promise to feed all schoolkids with a daily nutritious meal, The idea is to stop stunting that’s damaging hundreds of thousands of ill-fed kids.

Mainly young voters, encouraged by the belief that Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming, 38, will understand their needs, supported Prabowo with 58% of a three-way contest; now they know the guns and vegies policies were both unfunded.

Prabowo has been honouring his free-food pledges by raiding the education budget, further damaging an already wounded essential sector.

To get more money, the government (urged by Dr Sri) has been tightening tax compliance. Indonesia still runs on cash at the lower end of the economy, so millions eating in small restaurants and shopping at corner stores have escaped attention till now.

The resulting resentment hardened when it was discovered that the 580 members of the Parliament (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat) awarded themselves a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah – about A$4600.

Although they have since scrapped their bonus, one earlier video allegedly showed joyful MPs celebrating their good fortune, clapping and waving in the DPR.

This is high-level hubris in a country where millions rent tiny homes or overfill relatives’ homes. It showed the disconnect between the top and bottom of society and became the trigger for the riots.

It’s always easy to be wise after an event, but strife was inevitable. That this was not foreseen by Prabowo and his military mates (or noticed but ignored) shows how unfit they are for civilian rule.

Late on Sunday (31 August) and six days after the riots, Prabowo went on TV to say he would listen to the people’s concerns:

“The authorities must protect the public, but any anarchic actions must be dealt with firmly. Some even point to treason and terrorism. I order the police and TNI (military) to take the firmest possible action, including against looting of individual homes or economic centres.”

Earlier, he’d called 16 Muslim leaders to his house.

Cleric Yahya Cholil Staquf said the men (apparently women and leaders of other religions were not invited) had held “a dialogue with President Prabowo to gain a general understanding of the nation’s challenges”.

“We urge the public to remain calm, and God willing, together …we can overcome any challenges we face.”

Prabowo has apologised to Affan’s family, offered compensation, and cancelled attendance at the 3 September parade in China to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

This is particularly embarrassing because the president’s message to the world has been that he’s a solid professional who leads a nation of stability and advancement. That he’s not prepared to leave Indonesia to the charge of Gibran, who is half his boss’s age and has never been in the military, shows an absence of trust.

Who’ll take over if plump Prabowo has a heart attack? That’s a question being asked by investors, who were running shy far ahead of the riots, concerned about a new sovereign wealth fund to be run by the prez. Then there’s corruption:

“Prabowo projects himself as a charismatic military leader who symbolically embodies the grievances and demands of the people, particularly concerning the issue of corruption, which is widely seen as deeply entrenched.

“ Transparency International says the fight against corruption in Indonesia has been sluggish at best. In 2024, its corruption perception index score even slipped to 37, far from the 80-point threshold for a clean and accountable government.”

How does corruption fit with street battles over how the country is run? It’s more than cash in envelopes – but a moral issue of accountability to the people by those elected to govern justly and fairly, a pact sealed by oaths.

That’s the bargain: the riots show one side thinks it’s not being kept.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.