This summer and the past month, student-led riots have gripped Southeast Asia, frightening regimes in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste; most notably, overthrowing Nepal’s, before replacing its parliament through a Discord server. It is a major victory against an increasingly autocratic part of the world, where politicians siphon project funds and pamper their kids with lavish decor from the taxpayers’ pocket.
Student Power and Protest
This is not the first time Gen-Z has ignited a revolt. The 2022 Sri Lankan and 2024 Bangladeshi uprisings, which overthrew and replaced their respective governments, had students at the forefront, marching whilst their own soldiers fired tear gas and live bullets at them. The Asian Spring, or Gen-Z protests, has rooted itself in other corners of the world. In the recent demonstrations against democratic backsliding and corruption in Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Peru, the Maldives, and Paraguay, governments have returned the call for reform with violent repression.
The Symbolism Behind the Struggle
Drawing on more than just age and agitation, these protests bear a unique cultural icon that shapes their identity as a Gen-Z operation: the straw hat pirate flag. A homage to the anime One Piece, this flag resembles the pirate crew that often picks fights with the tyrannical world government to protect their friends. A motif that serves to unify the ongoing pro-democracy, anti-corruption struggles across all nations. The flag was revived in early August on Indonesia’s independence day, when, instead of flying their national colours, the citizens showcased their frustration with an idle government.
In questioning the credibility of glamorous parades that ignore the pursuit of real issues, the straw hat flag unifies the online world; its cultural significance and unique applicability make it a powerful weapon against shallow displays of ‘patriotism’. It has subsequently been used in France, Nepal, the Philippines, Timor Leste, and, most recently, in Madagascar, where power and water cuts have led to more student-led demonstrations.
Though not all countries have achieved the same transformations as Nepal, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka, a major blow has been dealt to the laissez-faire, openly dishonest governments. In Indonesia, the student-devised “17+8” demands have led to sweeping political reforms, including the reversal of a scheme that would have almost doubled the pensions of MPs and a reshuffle of the president’s cabinet. Protests against corruption in the Philippines, Maldives, Peru, Morocco, and Madagascar are accelerating, whilst Timor Leste has abandoned its plans to enrich its former lawmakers and MPs, and France dissolved its proposed austerity budget along with its government. A growing weariness of tacit dodginess has awoken all over the world.
What does this mean for the UK?
Are we going to see the straw hat flag raised in the University of Sussex or Westminster Palace? I am sure many students are aware of the inconsistencies at our institution, and although the University often struggles to maintain transparency and respect for its students, solidarity in this climate should be directed at our government.
On a larger scale, the UK’s decline towards nationalism and Labour’s ineffective strategy are inflating divisiveness, preventing any unifying agenda. No matter what the government looks like, Gen-Z understands the value of free speech and will not let it go. The internet, as much as they try to censor it, bridges a historical gap between the masses and the moguls. They have to be careful, because common expectations of governance are fresh in the mind of an online world, and integrating and mobilising for those expectations has never been easier.
Another article you may enjoy: https://thebadgeronline.com/2025/11/sussex-university-fitness/
