Smartraveller: Government issues travel warning for Bali, Denpasar, Indonesia amidst protest concerns

The Government has issued a travel warning for Bali after concerns that large protests could escalate into violence.

On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller website upgraded its travel warning for Indonesia to a level two.

This means Australians travelling to the country are advised to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to “overall security risks”.

The warning said that large protests in the country have the “potential to escalate into violence and property damage”.

The protests are occurring across major cities in Indonesia, including Denpasar, Bali, and are causing “disruption and impacting local traffic movements”.

The advice urges travellers to avoid protests and demonstrations and monitor local media for the latest updates.

Protests began a week ago in response to the Indonesian Government’s spending priorities, with citizens hitting out against enhanced perks for lawmakers.

There have been reports of rioting and looting.

The homes of political party members, including the finance minister, were looted and state buildings ransacked or set ablaze, in the biggest challenge to President Prabowo Subianto’s government since he took office nearly a year ago.

On Sunday, Mr Prabowo announced a cut in lawmakers’ perks - a major concession to protesters - but warned security forces would act firmly to control law and order.

The heavy presence of military-led security led some organisers to postpone gatherings in the capital, Jakarta.

However, groups of student protesters gathered in Jakarta on Monday as well as in Indonesia’s cultural hub of Yogyakarta, and in the city of Makassar, the site of the weekend’s worst violence, in which at least four people were killed in arson and mob violence.

- with AP.