Timor-Leste scraps plan to buy MPs free cars after protests

Demonstrators had burned tyres and set a government vehicle alight, while police responded with tear gas.

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On Tuesday, demonstrators burned tyres 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 turn out 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.