Indonesia: At least 20 missing in protests — rights group

Jakarta: At least 20 people are missing after demonstrations and unrest in Indonesia, a local rights group said on Tuesday.

The Southeast Asian archipelago has been rocked by widespread protests since last week, when the government enhanced perks for lawmakers.

The KontraS rights group was cited by the AFP news agency as saying that there were initially 23 reports of missing persons, 20 of which remained missing after a "search and verification process."

According to KontraS, a number of the instances were reported in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, or in the suburb of Depok on the city's outskirts.

Other cases were from the city of Bandung, also located on the country's most populous island, Java.

The KontraS NGO monitors instances of forced disappearances, torture and other rights violations.

Meanwhile, student groups at two Bandung universities, the Islamic University of Bandung (UNISBA) and Pasundan University (UNPAS), said authorities fired tear gas into crowds near the campuses.

The protest wave has been a major test for the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who took office in October of last year.

Protests began after the government introduced a new monthly housing allowance for lawmakers that critics say is ten times higher than the minimum wage in many regions. The demonstrations escalated on Thursday after footage showed Indonesian paramilitary officers running over a 21-year-old delivery driver.

Prabowo cancelled a planned trip to China over the unrest and also announced that he would revoke lawmaker perks that helped spark the unrest.

At least eight people have died in the protests, according to Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

Jakarta police chief Asep Edi Suheri said around 1,240 people had been arrested in the unrest, according to Indonesia's state Antara news agency.