In world history, when governments are unable to police themselves, citizens have repeatedly stepped up to hold them accountable. This involves personal risk and political risk that other oppositionists will take unfair advantage of. But passivity in the face of corruption and injustice usually persuades people to intervene for the sake of their society and their children.
Luckily there are many options for citizens that will not bring damage to the country. In fact, the crisis is an opportunity to bring healthy change. Our organisation, Nonviolence International, helped support the research of Shaazka Beyerle who documented in her book, ‘Curtailing Corruption: People Power for Accountability and Justice’, examples of citizen actions against corruption all over the world
Here are some examples of actions that might inform your decisions or actions.
In Turkey in 1996, the Turkish students and then people rose up against the corrupt politicians, police and organised crime. In December, 15 citizens established a group called the Citizen Initiative for Constant Light. Their goals were to reveal crime syndicate infection of the government, to break the corruption/government connection without undermining democracy.
They organised a leaderless model to defend against state reprisals and built the largest possible alliance. They launched a 1 minute of darkness for a Constant Light Campaign. With a countdown campaign, they launched at 9pm on Feb 1, 1997. Night after night the campaign went national. People banged pots and pans, flashed lights, honked horns, held vigils and marches.
The government ridiculed the participants. Then the military saw an opportunity to hijack the campaign and brought down the government. But the campaign continued with the slogan, ‘We won’t let you steal our light’. Thirty million people participated, nearly 60 percentf the public.
The next prime minister, Mesut Yilmaz, continued reforms and the campaign broke the taboo over confronting the crime syndicates. Yes, there is still political corruption, most notably allegedly in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s family, but the systemic link between organised crime and the government was broken.
In 2006, in Bosnia-Herzogovina, Dosta held its ‘enough’ campaign by young people to challenge the president’s abuse of power. The youth articulated three goals, ‘passive citizens, government corruption and crime, and ethnic hatred stoked by political fear tactics’. (Does this sound familiar?) Dosta first launched a digital campaign instead of a street protest. Someone wrote grafitti on a building bought in a corrupt fashion by the prime minister.
Then Dosta started a Facebook page called ‘I wrote the Grafitti’. They got a huge response and then escalated by encouraging thousands of poeple to call the police and say, “Arrest me, I wrote the graffitti”. Thousands responded. Then came the stickers and the T-shirts with the same slogan. The prime minister was left with few supporters in his party and no young people. He was forced to resign.
Women launched a non-partisan Monitoring Movement in Egypt called Shayfeen.comin 2005. They invited citizens to monitor the election polls and report fraud to their site. In the following election they distributed 100,000 tea glasses and 250,000 clear plastic bags with the logo and the slogan, ‘We are watching you, and also at election time’.
They also sold a new badge that people wore with pride. They had a number of political victories and helped challenge the corrupt government of Husni Mubarak.
India has had remarkable anti-corruption movements in the last 20 years. They first had a ‘Right to Know’ movement which succeeded in forcing parliament to open up most governement records to the people.
According to Beyerle, “Over the years it conducted numerous people power campagins involving a multitude of catcis, from hunger strikes, and dharnas (short and extended sit-ins) to leafleting, picketing, street theatre, songs, truck yatras (journeys), and the Ghotala Rath Yatra (Chariot Rally of Scams) a travelling spoof of political campaigning.. The movement was a source of inspiration for Integrity Watch Afghanistan and its nonviolent methods were adopted by Muslims for Human Rights in Kenya.”
A movement called 5th Pillar started in 2005 which had a mission to create a strong demcracy of with a pillar of active citizens to add to the media, legislative, executive and judicial pillars. They used human chains, flash street corner meetings, signature collections, Anti-Corrruption Day (Dec 9) actions, One-day anti-corruption training for villages, and the famous zero rupee note.
This note took a likeness of the 50 rupee note and changed it to zero rupees and denounced corruption. This note was given to corrupt officials whenever they asked for a bribe. They have made one for Malaysia.
There are many other successful bottom-up anti-corruption campaigns. the people's defense of CICAK (Cinta Indonesia Cinta KPK) in Indonesia in 2009, and the boycott of the Mafia in Italy five years ago,
As you can see there are many case studies to learn from. But each country and situation are different and Malaysians will have to decide if and what is appropriate.
Five reminders of what makes successful campaigns
Unity - This means unity of goals. In all coalitions there are different goals. Unity about what you are against is easier than unity in what you are for. Unity means working with people and groups you don’t agree with much or don’t like. Guess what? they are your fellow citizens... and you need to work with them. They are your neighbours for the next 1,000 years.. so get along.
Discipline - no violence, no passivity, no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons. Property destruction should be forbidden or limited with wide agreement. The police and military are part of the 99 percent.
Preparation - in a democratic society most of the planning should be transparent even if the opponents know or follow your discussions. Be prepared for repression and use their violence/attacks against them to show their weakness.
Plan for diversions like silly conspiracy theories, scapegoating a vulnerable group or party, of blaming a foreign enemy or threat. Don’t get greedy, like Tianamen Square where demonstrators refused big concessions and tried for revolution. But also don’t get fooled by small concessions. Preparation can also mean prayer, and funding a supportive group of friends to work with.
Obedience - what will you say when your children ask you... Mummy, Daddy, what did you do when...? All government leaders want you to obey them, to pay taxes, to vote for them, to obey traffic regulations.
There comes a time when there is a higher law than human law, whether you call this Allah, God, or Truth... you have to decide what you are going to follow. Leaders cannot govern if the people do not obey. If the police don’t arrest. The military does not shoot. The courts slow down their work, not even brutal dictators can survive.
Widespread participation of at least 5 percent of the population is the most important determinant of successful civic mobilisations. Campaigns that include lots of women, elderly and children statistically have more success and obtain more democratic outcomes.
Nonviolence Internatioanl is a non-profit organisation. We believe in nonviolent action. We are not in the business of advising people what to do. The choices in Malaysia are yours. Best of luck. We hope this has been helpful.
MICHAEL BEER is executive director of Nonviolence International. He was an AFS exchange student to Malaysia during 1981-1982, and studied at St John's Institution. MUBARAK AWAD is the founder and president of Nonviolence International, and a leader of the first Palestinian intifada. - Mkini
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