It would be a mistake to assume that the mass uprisings or so called Gen Z uprisings against the ruling establishments in a swathe of countries, from Indonesia and the Philippines to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, had the same or similar origins.
“The fact that a number of civic disturbances happened close to each other doesn’t mean they are interconnected … the causes in Indonesia are different from those in Nepal … the history of each is different and the actors are different,” says Satish Mishra, CEO of the Arthashastra Institute in Bali, Indonesia.
He was a guest on The Gist, analysing the so called Gen Z uprisings that have varied in scale. In Sri Lanka three years ago, in Bangladesh last year and in Nepal earlier this month, it resulted in the overthrow of the ruling establishments.
Comparatively, those in Indonesia last month and in the Philippines earlier this month, died down quickly with ruling politicians making amends.
The protests in Indonesia over MPs giving themselves lavish pay rises took place early in President Prabowo’s tenure. But Mishra believes whether it was Prabowo or somebody else, the issue of corruption goes deep in the country, as it does in most of Asia.
“It (corruption) has been simmering for quite some time,” Mishra noted “and because Indonesia is very decentralised, it (violence) went from one district to another, one province to another and it ended with a lot of looting and destruction of public property.”
In the case of the Philippines, he said, the idea of “people power” as a way of changing regimes has been a popular strategy, so it is considered a legitimate form of popular action. But the question is how much corruption is one prepared to tolerate?
Zero tolerance of corruption that politicians keep mouthing does not exist. In fact, it is just a slogan, nobody has bothered to define it. So society tends to ignore it because that is the way societies and businesses function.
This is also the case with inequalities, how much inequality is okay? In the case of Bangladesh and Nepal, inequalities were wide and growing. It was reflected in the scale of both uprisings.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Satish Mishra, CEO Arthasastra Institute, Indonesia
Thirty eight years in journalism, widely travelled, history buff with a preference for Old Monk Rum. Current interest/focus spans China, Technology and Trade. Recent reads: Steven Colls Directorate S and Alexander Frater's Chasing the Monsoon. Netflix/Prime video junkie. Loves animal videos on Facebook. Reluctant tweeter.
