University students in East Timor staged protests against a plan to provide foreign cars to lawmakers. Shocked by the demonstrations, the East Timorese parliament decided to abolish the lifetime pension system for members of parliament. Protesters warned that if parliament fails to keep its commitments, they will organize larger-scale protests. East Timor is one of the poorest countries in the world, and its citizens face difficulties due to social inequality and high unemployment rates. Recently, protests against politicians' privileges and corruption have been occurring in various Asian countries including Indonesia and Nepal.
