East Timor police fired tear gas on Tuesday at protesters railing for the second day against a plan to buy new official cars for lawmakers, which became the latest flashpoint in one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia.
More than 2,000 people — mostly students from several universities in the capital Dili — gathered near the National Parliament, according to an AFP journalist, to protest the plan to procure cars for each of the 65 members of parliament.
The demonstration, which began peacefully, turned violent when police fired tear gas after some protesters hurled rocks toward them.
It followed a similar protest on Monday, which prompted several political parties to announce they would ask parliament to cancel the purchase.
Those same parties had previously approved the 2025 budget that included the funding for the vehicles.
Protesters have vowed to continue their rallies until the plan is formally scrapped.
“We want the decision to purchase the car to be cancelled. This decision needs to be taken by the president of the National parliament,” activist Domingos de Andrade, 34, told reporters Tuesday.
“They need to stop the bad habit of buying cars.”
Protesters carried a banner urging authorities to “stop thieves, stop corruptors.”
They also burned tyres and a government vehicle near the parliament building.
As of Tuesday, the East Timor government had yet to issue an official response related to the protests.
In a joint statement on Monday, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, the Democratic Party and the Enrich the National Unity of the Sons of Timor said the purchase “did not reflect public interests” and pledged they would ask parliament to cancel the purchase.
East Timor, Southeast Asia’s youngest country, gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.
The former Portuguese colony continues to grapple with high inequality, malnutrition, and unemployment, with an economy heavily reliant on oil.
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