Joint SEA Artist Statement Read At KL Indonesian Embassy Urges Systemic Change

By Lara Kramer  •  in Features
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source: @mirthlesskl on Instagram

Earlier this week, Malaysian black metal outfit Mirthless stood in front of the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur and read a joint statement of solidarity on behalf of dozens of Southeast Asian bands, artists, and writers.

The statement, first initiated by Indonesian punk band Tvsk.mvdharat and Sound of Chaos Records, condemns the ongoing police brutality in Indonesia and aligns the regional arts community with the wave of protests that have erupted across the country.

The text, drafted and endorsed by artists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, does not mince words.

It squarely places accountability on state institutions for the death of Affan Kurniawan, a young food delivery rider killed when a Brimob vehicle ran him over during protests in Jakarta. The statement stresses that Affan’s death is not an isolated tragedy, but symptomatic of a system that has long failed its people.

The statement reads:

“We, bands and artists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, unite to declare our position that we stand with the people of Indonesia who have taken to the streets to demand justice, and we strongly condemn the police violence that has taken lives and silenced the people.

“A young man named Affan Kurniawan has died. He was only trying to earn a living as a food delivery worker, but his life was taken when a Brimob vehicle struck and crushed him in Jakarta. This incident is not just about Affan. It is a sign that this system has failed to protect its people for far too long.”

“In recent days, we have witnessed waves of people rising across Indonesia: In Senayan, students and workers demand justice, even as many are detained. In Medan and Pontianak, the public is met with tear gas. In Jogja, Bandung, Makassar, and Solo, voices of resistance continue to rise, rejecting inflated salaries and elite privileges while ordinary people live in hardship. None of this is because people want chaos. It is because they are fed up.

“We in Malaysia know this feeling. Here, efforts to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) were derailed. We cannot bear to see that same failure become Indonesia’s fate. Do not let Affan’s death pass without real change.

“Together with the people of Indonesia, we demand:

  • The police chief must be held accountable and resign for failing to protect the people and for the violence that has taken place.

  • Establish a truly independent police watchdog, not a puppet of those in power or a cosmetic gesture.

  • A full and transparent investigation into Affan’s death, with his family given a voice.

  • An end to the use of armoured vehicles and military tactics against civilians.

  • Compensation and support for the victims’ families.

  • Regional cooperation among Southeast Asian people, because this problem does not belong to one country alone.”

This act of transnational solidarity was coordinated with the help of Amir Hadi, Wong Kukui, and Hamdin Nordin of Mandiri, along with Alyaah Hani of Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia.

While not signatories themselves, they facilitated the platform that enabled Mirthless to deliver the message collectively, positioning the band as the voice of the regional arts community at the embassy gates.

The signatories are already numerous and diverse. Among them:

  • Azim Zain and His Lovely Bones, Seek, Faust, Hanyut, Iravu, Defusion, Buncit, Ba’Ah, Gulch, The Propositions, Tarimosi, Women and Children, VIONA, killamisha, Jason S Ganesan, Nana, and Maryam, alongside booking collectives like Bandicoot Bookings KL and creative networks like Fracas Works.

  • From Indonesia: Tvsk.mvdharat, Sound of Chaos Records, Social Outcast, In Check Clan Chunk, and others.

  • Singapore is represented by Circle Line Kid, while Brunei and Malaysia add further names like Toi Et Moi, note/void, The Fridays, Shh… Diam, Bvrtan, Daullat, Crosshatch, Switchbladeseven, and Vertigesh.

The signatory list remains open, and others across the region are invited to add their names through the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqnbSJ_dxr6kFGr_31xnpLBJNdhKKVFOybe97VznaPnkYBKQ/viewform

For Mirthless and the network that rallied behind them, the act of reading this statement was more than symbolic. It was a refusal to remain passive while neighbours bleed.

The message is simple: solidarity does not stop at borders, and silence is not an option.

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