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#SEABlings: An Emerging Solidarity Movement in Southeast Asia?
October 28 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Over the past month, a wave of protests has swept across the region. In Indonesia, demonstrations erupted in response to unfair economic policies, including tax hikes and increased benefit for MPs, followed by mass arrests and further criminalization of dissent. In Timor-Leste, youth took to the streets to protest the National Parliament’s decision to purchase SUVs for legislators, with demand expanding to include the cancellation of lifetime pensions for former MPs. In the Philippines, tens of thousands, mostly youth, rallied against corruption in past government projects. In Myanmar, people continue to resist the military coup through peaceful means as well as armed struggle.
People’s movements in Southeast Asia work under difficult and often dangerous situation as they confront systemic injustices that undermine democratic principles and restrict fundamental freedom, facing constant treat of harassment, criminalization, imprisonment and death. With growing regional awareness, cross-border solidarity is taking new forms with the ASEAN People Forum, the Milk Tea Alliance, bilateral people to people support such as the Thailand-Myanmar Alliance and sharing of symbols like the three-fingers salute in mainland Southeast Asia. In the recent protests, grassroots and community-led initiatives have emerged. Malaysian youth groups staged a protest in front of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, while online, the hashtag #SEAblings began trending sparked by the death of Affan Kurniawan, a young Indonesian motorcycle taxi driver killed by a police vehicle during protests in Jakarta, Indonesia on 28 August 2025 (The Conversation, 2025). Netizens in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines began sending food via Grab to Indonesian drivers they had never met. The Straw Hat Pirates’ Jolly Roger, a symbol of resistance that first went viral in Indonesia, spread to Nepal and most recently to protests in the Philippines.
People-to-people solidarity is not a new concept in Southeast Asia’s social and political movements, however, as times and contexts evolve, so does the models and formats of solidarity. As the term suggests, #SEAblings seeks to unite citizens across the region, encouraging mutual support in times of crisis and resistance. It is a question, however, whether it can transform into a more sustainable form of regional solidarity. HUMANis and SEA Junction are collaborating to create a space for reflection, dialogue, and strategy-building, focusing on the shared challenges to democracy and freedom, the rise of regional solidarity, and the urgent need for strengthen the foundation for sustainable movement-building. The first of a two-event series hosted at SEA Junction on 28 October at 5.30-7pm aims to explore in what ways digital solidarity such as the #SEAblings movement can be manifested into physical actions – coordinated protests, resource-sharing, legal and medical support to strengthen regional resistance. How can civil society across Southeast Asia build sustainable cross-border alliances to defend democracy and freedom? And what lessons can be drawn from the recent wave of protests to inform future strategies for collective action?
This public discussion will start with brief presentations by resource persons from the region as following:
- Debbie Stothard, Founder and Director ALTSEAN
- Amandina Da Silva – Human rights activist, AJAR Timor Leste
- Bivitro Sisanti, Jentera
- Jan Marvi Atienza, Advisor at Philippine Resource Center for Inclusive Development (Inklusibo)
- Kornkanok Khamta (Pup), Cracked, but Unbroken
Moderator: Rosalia Sciortino. Founder and Director SEA Junction
Speaker and Moderator Profiles
Amandina Da Silva is currently affiliated with Asia Justice and Rights Timor Leste. She has been working with youth to help motivate them on human rights and health issues within the country through collaboration with organizations such as Rotaract Club of Dili, Laudato Si’ Movement Timor-Leste (LSM-TL), and Timor-Leste Association of Health promotion (APSTL).
Bivitri Susanti is a founder of the Indonesian Centre for Law & Policy Studies (Pusat Studi Hukum & Kebijakan Indonesia or PSHK) and the independent Jentera Law School. She obtained her PhD from the University of Washington. Specialist on legal reform and politics. Trainer in SLEEI on legal skills and critical reasoning. She is a board member in a number of NGOs and actively participate in civil society movements.
Jan Atienza is an advisor and researcher for the Philippine Resource Center for Inclusive Development (Inklusibo). He is also actively involved in labor rights, human rights, and social justice advocacies. He is presently a MS Geography student in the University of the Philippines Diliman. Research interests include critical geography, labor geography, economic geography, socio-spatial inequalities, labor rights, infrastructure, housing, informality, and urban studies.
Kornkanok Khamta (Pup), currently affiliated with the group Cracked, but Unbroken has been working in Thailand’s civic space and has participated in feminist and pro-democracy youth movement. With background in Political Science from Thammasat University, she is committed to advancing human rights, gender justice, and democracy.
For more information, please email: info@seajunction.org or phone/wa: +66970024140
NB: The event is free, donations are welcome to support SEA Junction activities.
Organizers
Southeast Asia Junction (SEA Junction)
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions, from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 407-8 of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre or BACC, SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information, see www.seajunction.org, join the Facebook group and page @sea-junction and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @seajunction.
Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial (Humanis)
Humanis is a Jakarta-based organization that works across the Southeast Asia region to build just and sustainable societies where every individual enjoys their fundamental rights and is free from threat of environmental degradation and climate change. Humanis is a collective of individual who firmly believes that inclusive and gender-sensitive approach are fundamental ingredients in our activism. See https://humanis.foundation.
