JAKARTA: Indonesia’s president carried out a second surprise Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, just a week after firing five ministers following deadly anti-government protests.

At least 11 people were killed in mass protests that broke out in Jakarta in late August. Sparked by controversial allowances for lawmakers, rising living costs and inequality, the demonstrations turned violent and spread across the country after an armed police vehicle ran over and killed a 21-year-old delivery driver. 

With protesters demanding sweeping reforms across various institutions, including the police, military and House of Representatives, the demonstrations have posed the biggest challenge yet for the presidency of Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October. 

After replacing his Cabinet members last week — including well-regarded Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati — Prabowo appointed 11 new officials on Wednesday. 

“President Prabowo Subianto officially inaugurated two ministers and three deputy ministers of the Red and White Cabinet for the remainder of the 2024–2029 term,” the presidential secretariat said in a statement after the inauguration ceremony. 

Among the new appointees are Lt. Gen. (retd.) Djamari Chaniago as the new chief security minister, Erick Thohir — former state-owned enterprises minister — as the new youth and sports minister, and Ahmad Dofiri, retired police commissioner general, as a special presidential adviser for public security and order and police reform.

While the Cabinet changes since last week have been significant, some activists, including Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director Usman Hamid, say the reshuffle was disconnected from the protesters’ demands.

“For example, the public has called for civil supremacy and to return the military to the barracks, but the choice of chief security minister reflects the government’s old paradigm of choosing people with a military background,” he told Arab News. 

Even the appointment of a special security adviser did not address the public’s concerns. 

“It doesn’t answer the demands of the people who are hoping that the government and House of Representatives will immediately form an independent commission to investigate the death of 11 people and other human rights violations during the protests,” Hamid said. 

“This reshuffle is nothing more than the circulation of officials among the political elites; it does not address the root issues of policies that the people were protesting against.”