{"id":67826,"date":"2025-09-09T18:38:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T11:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southeastasia\/?p=67826"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:45:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:45:13","slug":"sea-bling-solidarity-southeast-asias-light-in-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southeastasia\/story\/67826\/sea-bling-solidarity-southeast-asias-light-in-the-dark\/","title":{"rendered":"SEA-Bling Solidarity: Southeast Asia\u2019s Light in the Dark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Sometimes, solidarity doesn\u2019t begin with a march or a manifesto. It starts quietly, in the smallest corners of the internet.<\/p>\n\n<p>Scrolling through X one restless night, I stumbled on a post that has stayed with me. A user,<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sighyam\/status\/1961805335829602526\"> @sighyam<\/a>, wrote:<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Guys I just found out that you can support indonesian grab riders who are still out on the streets because grab allows you to make deliveries in other SE Asian countries?? OKAYYYY<\/p>&mdash; yammi (@sighyam) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sighyam\/status\/1961805335829602526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 30, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p>It read like a casual discovery\u2014half surprise, half excitement. But in that moment, it cracked open a possibility: that something as mundane as a food delivery could become a bridge of solidarity. And soon, it did. In Manila, people began sending rice boxes to drivers in Jakarta. In Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, strangers ordered coffee and bottled water. Some added only short notes: <em>\u201cStay strong, we are with you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>What might look like ordinary transactions suddenly transformed into acts of defiance. Meals became messages. Coffee became comfort. Across borders, Southeast Asia found a way to shine together. This was SEA-blings: solidarity glittering like a gem in the dark ocean of repression.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shadows We All Recognize<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>This solidarity isn\u2019t random. It\u2019s born from the wounds we, Southeast Asians, know all too well. From the crowded streets of Manila to the clogged avenues of Jakarta, from the bustling corners of Bangkok to the gleaming towers of Kuala Lumpur, we live under regimes that though draped in different flags\u2014share the same face: corrupt, oligarchic, allergic to dissent.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/4dd93b45-gp0su6oca.jpg\" title=\"GEBRAK Coalition held a Protest in Jakarta. \u00a9 Muhammad Adimaja \/ Greenpeace\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-67828\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;width:736px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/4dd93b45-gp0su6oca.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/4dd93b45-gp0su6oca-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/4dd93b45-gp0su6oca-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/4dd93b45-gp0su6oca-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/4dd93b45-gp0su6oca-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Protests condemn violence and injustice, demand the release of activists, accountability for human rights violators, cuts to government officials&#8217; allowances, and address economic disparities, particularly the unfair tax burden imposed on ordinary people while the super-rich and elite benefit.\n\nProtesters from the Labor Movement with the People (GEBRAK). Under the banner &#8220;The People Sue,&#8221; they called for an end to government repression, the release of detained activists, lower taxes, reduced prices for essential goods, and the swift approval of the Asset Confiscation Bill. The demonstration was a call to action titled: The People Sue.<\/figcaption><figcaption><div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Muhammad Adimaja \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>We\u2019ve seen these headlines too many times to ignore. Tear gas raining down on students asking for a future, while governments approve mining permits faster than they can answer a single demand from citizens. Parliaments debate endlessly over wages, yet somehow move at lightning speed when it comes to their own allowances. Truly, if betrayal were an Olympic sport, they\u2019d win gold every year.<\/p>\n\n<p>And yet, here we are; awake, aware, refusing to be silent. Because even as they perfect their indifference, we perfect our resilience. We\u2019ve learned that the more they try to chain our voices, the louder we can rise. The more they bet on our fear, the more we turn it into courage. Shadows may be familiar, but so is the fire in our hands. And that fire? It\u2019s just getting started.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Indonesia Rose Up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>The spark came from a single shocking decision. Parliament approved a monthly housing allowance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kompas.id\/artikel\/en-mengapa-tunjangan-perumahan-anggota-dpr-jadi-polemik\">Rp50 million<\/a> (around USD 3,000) for its members\u2014almost ten times the minimum wage in Jakarta. On paper, it was just another policy. In reality, it was a mirror showing a system that had long ignored the struggles of ordinary Indonesians.<\/p>\n\n<p>For<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kompas.id\/artikel\/en-ekonomi-sedang-sulit-bagaimana-cara-kelas-menengah-berkelit\"> years<\/a>, families stretched every rupiah to survive. Food prices climbed, rent swallowed paychecks, and job security felt like a luxury. Young people graduated into an economy that undervalued them. Labor rights <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.id\/kabar-terbaru\/siaran-pers\/omnibus-bill-on-job-creation-poses-serious-threat-to-human-rights\/08\/2020\/\">weakened<\/a>, environmental protections were loosened, and the elite grew richer. The allowance wasn\u2019t just tone-deaf\u2014it became a symbol that the system cared more for the powerful than the people.<\/p>\n\n<p>The people did not stay silent. From Jakarta to Bandung, Makassar, Solo, Yogya, and even in Lombok, Indonesians took to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/cdrk7rjv8z5t\">streets<\/a>. Chants rose above tear gas, and their presence in front of parliament buildings and city squares sent a message that could not be ignored: enough is enough.<\/p>\n\n<p>Tragedy struck as well. Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old motorbike driver, was crushed under a police vehicle while delivering food. He wasn\u2019t alone. Reports counted at least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c7vlv2gpvvzo\">10 lives lost<\/a>, over 1,200 detained, hundreds injured, and dozens missing. In Makassar, three more were trapped and killed in a parliament fire. From Java to Sulawesi, the playbook was the same: rubber bullets, tear gas, and intimidation of journalists.<\/p>\n\n<p>Indonesia\u2019s rise proves that change is possible when people stand together. Power belongs to the people, and when they refuse to be silent, they shape the future. The streets may have seen grief and rage, but they also saw courage, unity, and the undeniable promise that the future is not something stolen\u2014it is something we can build together.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From Jakarta to Manila: The Spark of Sea-Bling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Even in the harshest repression, light always finds a way to break through. Across Southeast Asia, people watched Indonesia rise and felt it in their own streets, their own homes, their own hearts. In Malaysia, Malaysian citizens <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BBCIndonesia\/status\/1963100524481511820\">demonstrated<\/a> in front of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to condemn the violence by authorities against protesters in Indonesia. In the Philippines, ordinary citizens <a href=\"https:\/\/voi.id\/en\/lifestyle\/510823\">sent food<\/a>, care packages, and handwritten notes of love to Indonesian drivers and protesters, small acts that became powerful symbols of solidarity. In Thailand and Hong Kong, activists framed Indonesia\u2019s struggle as part of the Milk Tea Alliance\u2014a movement that reminds us all that ordinary people, when united, can resist authoritarianism together.<\/p>\n\n<p>And suddenly, those simple gestures\u2014a box of rice, a cup of coffee, a whispered prayer\u2014became more than sustenance or comfort. They became a lifeline, a promise, a message carried across borders: \u201cWe see you. We are here. You are not alone.\u201d Each delivery, each message, each act of quiet support was a spark lighting up the darkness, showing that hope cannot be silenced by fear or violence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>This is our sea-bling: a jewel born from shared suffering, polished by shared hope, gleaming defiantly against oppression. It is not just a metaphor. It is energy, it is resistance, it is connection. It is the way ordinary people across nations remind each other that even in moments of despair, solidarity can shine brighter than any shadow. It is proof that hope travels farther than fear, and that together\u2014across streets, cities, and seas\u2014we can hold up the light until the darkness breaks.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Corruption, Climate, and the Enemy We Share<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Our fight for freedom cannot be separated from our fight for survival on this planet. In Indonesia, lawmakers who approved bloated allowances also support coal mining, palm oil plantations, and large-scale industrial projects that destroy forests and peatlands. Around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/indonesia\/publikasi\/44219\/karhutla-dalam-lima-tahun-terakhir\/\">4.4 million hectares<\/a> of land burned between 2015 and 2019, fueling haze that drifts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kompas.id\/artikel\/karhutla-yang-memicu-krisis-kabut-asap\">across<\/a> Malaysia, Singapore, and southern Thailand. This smoke contains fine particulate matter that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-india-stateless\/2024\/03\/44a856c8-2023_world_air_quality_report.pdf\">causes threats<\/a> to human health, leading to premature mortality, asthma, and various health issues.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/2febaf57-gp1su0w1.jpg\" title=\"Anti-Terror Bill Protest in Manila. \u00a9 Greenpeace \/ Grace Duran-Cabus\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-67829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/2febaf57-gp1su0w1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/2febaf57-gp1su0w1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/2febaf57-gp1su0w1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/2febaf57-gp1su0w1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-southeastasia-stateless\/2025\/09\/2febaf57-gp1su0w1-453x340.jpg 453w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Greenpeace Philippines activists join the communities and civil society at the University of the Philippines, Quezon City in commemorating Independence Day in a peaceful solidarity activity to call on the government to scrap the proposed anti-terrorism bill.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Greenpeace \/ Grace Duran-Cabus<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>Southeast Asia pays a heavy price for this corruption. In the Philippines, landslides and typhoons destroy thousands of homes every year. More than<a href=\"https:\/\/un-dco.org\/stories\/time-solidarity-typhoon-relief-efforts-philippines\"> 5.9 million<\/a> people have been affected repeatedly. Bangkok and Manila regularly experience flooding that paralyzes cities, affects agriculture, and disrupts trade. Vietnam\u2019s coastline faces severe storm surges, and rising sea levels threaten the Mekong Delta, home to over 17 million people. These disasters are not random\u2014they are intensified by deforestation, peatland drainage, and poorly regulated industrial activity. Greed fuels both corruption and climate chaos.<\/p>\n\n<p>Communities are losing more than land\u2014they are losing culture, livelihoods, and life itself. Indigenous groups in Kalimantan and Sumatra are forcibly displaced from ancestral forests. Fisherfolk see coastal fisheries collapse as mangroves are cleared. Farmers lose crops to floods and fires that could have been mitigated with stronger environmental protections. Anti-corruption laws are weakened, logging permits are fast-tracked, and voices calling for justice are silenced through intimidation or arrest. Across Southeast Asia, thousands of people are directly affected by environmental disasters each year. The institutions meant to protect them are often part of the problem.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is why Indonesia\u2019s uprisings resonate regionally. When Indonesians rise against corruption and environmental destruction, Malaysians, Thais, and Filipinos feel it. This is not just empathy\u2014it is recognition. Smoke from burning forests does not respect borders. Floods, landslides, and storms affect trade, food security, and migration across the region. Their struggle is ours. Their courage is a call to action: to demand accountability, defend communities, protect ecosystems, and refuse to let greed and corruption determine our shared future.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rising Together<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>This movement in Indonesia is not just about an allowance. It\u2019s about drawing a line: enough greed, enough repression, enough theft of our future.<\/p>\n\n<p>And when people in Manila send rice boxes, when Malaysians stand in solidarity, when Thais and Hongkongers amplify the chants, we find something precious: solidarity not as a dream, but as a living force.<\/p>\n\n<p>Solidarity that breathes in the meal sent across the sea. Solidarity that grows in hashtags and prayers. Solidarity that burns in the courage of students facing down tear gas.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the brilliance of SEA-blings\u2014a light that cannot be extinguished.<\/p>\n\n<p>The wave has risen. And when it rises, it will not rise for one nation alone. It will rise for all of us.<\/p>\n\n<p><em>Sherina Redjo is a Content Writer at Greenpeace Indonesia<\/em><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes, solidarity doesn\u2019t begin with a march or a manifesto. It starts quietly, in the smallest corners of the internet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":67827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"SEA-Bling Solidarity: Southeast Asia\u2019s Light in the Dark","p4_og_description":"This solidarity isn\u2019t random. It\u2019s born from the wounds we, Southeast Asians, know all too well. 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