<![CDATA[It's not just Hong Kong, Asia has a rich history of protests: here are 5]>
Hong Kong's massive protests against a proposed extradition bill have captured global attention in recent weeks, showcasing the defiance of the city's inhabitants in the face of efforts to curtail their freedoms.
But long before Hongkongers took to the streets in their millions, other regions of Asia " from South Korea to Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia " have borne witness to modern mass protest movements, representing different forms of social and political activism.
"Most of these movements have been motivated to some degree by a threat of loss," said Jonathan Pinckney, a researcher of non-violent resistance and protest at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who cited the ideologies championed by the Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi. "Movements often start this way, with a defensive demand against a perceived negative change, and then escalate to demanding more substantive change."
A riot policeman jumps away from fire bombs thrown by students in Seoul during an anti-government demonstration in 1997. Photo: AFP alt=A riot policeman jumps away from fire bombs thrown by students in Seoul during an anti-government demonstration in 1997. Photo: AFP
Typically, eruptions of public discontent in the region have featured well-organised, student-led movements that have occupied city streets, said Benjamin Reilly, an expert on democratisation in Asia at the University of Western Australia. "[These protests] utilised the latest in available technology " formerly, mobile phones; today, social networking " and kept going until they had achieved their objective or were repressed, only to achieve their objective a decade later."
Protest movements in Asia, while not directly connected, have often learned and taken inspiration from each other.
South Korean students disperse as tear gas is fired by riot police in 1997. Photo: Reuters alt=South Korean students disperse as tear gas is fired by riot police in 1997. Photo: Reuters
"People learned about movement strategies, and fully realised the importance of raising [their] voices against things they are simply not comfortable with," said Akihiro Ogawa, a professor at the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute who specialises in civil society. "Those voices are shaping a new dynamism of social movements across Asia, and energising a change in politics."
Since gaining independence in 1948 after decades of Japanese colonial rule and years of US military government, South Korea has developed a rich protest culture. The first example of this was the April Revolution of 1960, when more than 100,000 student-led protesters stormed the presidential Blue House, demanding the resignation of President Syngman Rhee, who had been in post since the country's founding.
South Korean President Syngman Rhee pictured in 1955. Photo: AP alt=South Korean President Syngman Rhee pictured in 1955. Photo: AP
The gruesome death of a high school student at the hands of local police in southern Masan city served as the catalyst for the protests; but ultimately, widespread public dissatisfaction with the government, endemic corruption, and the use of police violence was what kept them going.
The April Revolution resulted in Rhee's resignation and subsequent exile to Hawaii. Echoes of his downfall can be seen in the impeachment and arrest of former president Park Geun-hye following the Candlelight Revolution of 2016.
Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, left, pictured in 2017. Photo: AP alt=Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, left, pictured in 2017. Photo: AP
In 1987, what became known as the June Democracy Movement forced then-president Roh Tae-woo to introduce direct elections and restore civil liberties after decades of military dictatorship. Millions of Koreans mobilised in a series of protests across several cities to demand the introduction of democratic reforms.
With South Korea poised to host its first-ever Summer Olympics only a year later in 1988, the government was well aware that violently suppressing the protests would only reflect poorly on the nation.
Former South Korean presidents Roh Tae-woo (left) and Chun Doo-hwan (right) appear in court in 1996. Photo: Reuters alt=Former South Korean presidents Roh Tae-woo (left) and Chun Doo-hwan (right) appear in court in 1996. Photo: Reuters
Jumin Lee, a Korean lawyer and politics blogger living in the US, said the country's history of protest helped keep governments in check.
"Korean politicians are already pathologically afraid of protests," he said.
"Even more than its economic development, the most remarkable thing about modern Korean history is that [people] from a country with no tradition of democratic institutions prior to 1948 rose up again and again to fight for the rights and freedoms they had barely had time to get used to."
In 1986, The Philippines' People Power Revolution " also known as the Yellow Revolution " toppled the infamously profligate dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The movement began as a series of demonstrations with more than two million Filipinos marching against the regime's violence, corruption and fraud.
An undated file photo of Ferdinand Marcos, former Filipino dictator. Photo: File alt=An undated file photo of Ferdinand Marcos, former Filipino dictator. Photo: File
The mass protests forced Marcos to flee the country and take up exile in Hawaii, bringing to an end his 21 years of authoritarian rule. On the same day, Corazon Aquino, widely seen as the rightful winner of an earlier election that was marred by reports of tampering, was inaugurated as president of the Philippines. In office, Aquino, the widow of assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jnr, oversaw the introduction of the 1987 Constitution, which curbed the powers of the presidency and devolved more authority to parliament.
"In the case of the Philippines, what has normally mobilised people to go out in the streets in the recent past was issues related to graft and corruption committed by high ranking government officials, human rights violations and threats to basic freedoms," said Maria Ela L. Atienza, a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Beginning in 2007, Malaysia's Bersih rallies united opposition parties and NGOs by calling for electoral reform to end the effective one-party rule of the Barisan Nasional, which had dominated the country's politics since its independence in 1957.
Mahathir Mohamad, who was returned to office as Malaysia's prime minister following last year's elections. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Mahathir Mohamad, who was returned to office as Malaysia's prime minister following last year's elections. Photo: Bloomberg
Follow-up rallies took place in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. Although the protesters did not see their demands for reforms met at the time, the Pakatan Harapan coalition did sweep to power in a general election last year, ushering in the first new government in the country's history.
"The groundbreaking 2018 election in Malaysia, which successfully toppled the ruling coalition, was partly the positive result of the years of rallies organised by the Bersih movement," said Deasy Simandjuntak, an associate fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies in Singapore.
Indonesia's Reformasi movement began in 1998 amid growing dissatisfaction with military dictator Suharto's authoritarian rule, corruption and the state of the economy in the wake of a regional financial crisis the year before. While initially peaceful, the student-led protests quickly spiralled into violent unrest, including widespread rioting and looting, after police shot dead a number of demonstrators.
Indonesian President Suharto (left) with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (right) in 1996. Photo: AFP alt=Indonesian President Suharto (left) with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (right) in 1996. Photo: AFP
"This painful process led to the further democratic transition in Indonesia, including the removal of the military from the parliament, the banning of serving officers from politics, and a wide range of decentralisation measures as a cure from Suharto's centralisation," said Deasy, of the International Institute for Asian Studies.
After decades of one-party rule following its independence from Japan in 1945, Taiwan underwent a series of democratic reforms during the 1980s. But it was not until the Wild Lily student movement of 1990, which saw tens of thousands of demonstrators demand the direct election of Taiwan's president and vice-president, that democratic reform gained unstoppable momentum.
Taiwan held its first direct presidential elections in 1996, resulting in the return to power of incumbent Lee Teng-hui.
Demonstrators shout slogans in front of Taiwan's presidential office in 2014. Photo: Reuters alt=Demonstrators shout slogans in front of Taiwan's presidential office in 2014. Photo: Reuters
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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