Timor-Leste has scrapped a plan to give its lawmakers free cars after thousands of people took to the streets to protest against it.
On Tuesday, demonstrators burned tires and set a government vehicle alight, while police responded with tear gas - hours later, the government bowed to public pressure and dropped the plan.
Despite this, many returned to the streets, with one protester telling the BBC that they estimated a turnout of around 2,000 demonstrators in the capital Dili on Wednesday.
Though the protests were initially triggered by the cars, they have now expanded to cover calls to remove lifetime pensions for retired lawmakers.
The unrest comes as governments across Asia, from Nepal to Indonesia, have been rocked by angry young protesters taking aim at the perceived excesses of lawmakers.
One student who has chosen not to be identified told the BBC that she was hit by tear gas while she was in front of her university campus.
Lawmakers in Timor-Leste have an annual basic salary of $36,000 (£26,377) as of 2023, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. That's more than 10 times the country's average income, which a government report in 2021 estimated to be around $3,000.
The plan to buy lawmakers cars is not a new one, and in fact, there have been regular demonstrations against free cars provided to lawmakers since the 2000s, said Cezario Cesar, one of the key figures leading the protests. However, it's only now that the movement has really taken off, as the country continues to grapple with high inequality and unemployment.
Parliamentarians voted unanimously on Tuesday to scrap the plan to buy new Toyota Prado SUVs for each of the country's 65 MPs. But, the protests continued on Wednesday, with some skeptical about the policy U-turn. Demonstrators are also seeking to reform a law that promises former MPs lifetime pensions.
Timor-Leste has one of the youngest populations in Southeast Asia, with more than 70% of its population under the age of 35, according to the UN. It's also among the region's poorest states, despite being held up as a beacon of democracy among its neighbors.
As neighboring countries across Asia have seen similar recent anti-government protests driven by anger at corruption and inequality, the situation in Timor-Leste reflects a larger regional trend of discontent among young populations.
