SINGAPORE, MAR 27: With global conflict disrupting trade routes and Asian economies facing significant shocks, experts at an international conference here warned of fresh waves of protests triggered by these mounting pressures. The event, “Gen Z‑Led Regime Changes Across South Asia”, was organised by the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Singapore on March 23–24.
The think tank noted that while protests often bring marginal struggles into the centre of public life, they are frequently followed by disillusionment, with new leaders often representing little more than a revamped elite. Some speakers viewed youth‑led dissent more positively, highlighting how collective action reshapes citizens’ roles, demonstrates popular agency, and pushes overdue governance reforms.
Footage shown at the conference depicted protesters breaking into government institutions and the homes of political leaders, underlining the sense that ruling elites had failed to uphold their social contract. Anti‑corruption emerged as a key rallying cry, later echoed in protests in countries such as Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria.
The conference explored the ideological underpinnings of these movements, their impact on democratic resilience, and why countries like India and Pakistan did not see comparable regime‑change protests in the same period. ISAS Director Iqbal Singh Sevea observed that since 2022, countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal have seen extra‑electoral regime changes driven by mass mobilisation, from economic crises and energy shortages to student protests and political grievances.
At the core of many of these uprisings, he said, lies a powerful demographic force: South Asia’s youth — digitally connected, globally aware, and increasingly frustrated by limited opportunities for political and economic participation — which has generated new forms of protest that challenge entrenched elites and institutional arrangements.
