23 arrested over protests against new job laws in Indonesia

Thousands in Indonesia were protesting against the new job laws by using tear gas and water cannons in the two industrial areas of java island, which has led to the arrest of 23 protesters by the police officials. The critics have regarded the new laws that will cripple and reduce the rights of the workers and environmental regulations.

A count of 14 protesters were arrested from the western province of Jakarta on Tuesday evening, said Edy Sumardi, police spokesman from Banten on Wednesday. Further on, 9 protesters were taken under arrest from city of Bandung, as reported by Erdi Adrimulan Chaniago.

The recent legislation, approved into law on Monday in the parliament by the President Joko Widodo to enhance the market competency of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The critics have mentioned that the new legislation which has upgraded over 70 existential laws and regulations, which puts forth weakened rights for labour protection and casual environmental rules.

Indonesians were also criticizing the new legislation on social media with expletive hashtags that flooded the internet. More than 1.3 million people signed an online petition for the law to be revoked.

The Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions have given an official statement on Wednesday stating that three-day on-going strike would go on as hundreds of thousands had disdained factories on Tuesday.