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This week I am in Aceh, northern Sumatra and yesterday I gave a training to the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission. For 30 years the Acehnese suffered a devastating conflict, seeking greater autonomy and a fair share of the area’s oil and natural gas from the national Indonesian government.  As if the conflict was not enough, the 2004 tsunami killed more than 140,000 Acehnese in a single day, leading to the signing of a Peace Agreement in Helsinki.  Here is a historical photo of inspirational Acehnese women calling for peace and one taken yesterday of myself with the Commissioners and staff. The Commission’s job is to help strengthen sustainable peace by investigating the truth, promoting justice for perpetrators of mass crimes and assisting victims.

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Yesterday I had the chance to speak and then play a gig in Chiang Mai, Thailand, alongside fantastic Burmese and Thai musicians at the global conference on Burma, attended by 650 human rights advocates and academics from around the world. We were asked to play at the first day closing in the foyer of the conference centre, to a great crowd of inspirational young and not so young rights activists. The backdrop for the music was AJAR’s exhibition of ‘quilts of memory and hope’: cloth patches of the stories of Rohingya women refugees, sewn together for the quilts.
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Next live performance will be at 6pm TODAY Sunday 4th August at the Uniserv CMU, Chiang Mai, Thailand

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I’ve just returned from a speaking tour in Europe, meeting with the UN, EU and governments. My main message was “Don’t forget the Asia Pacific region.” We need to urgently deal with the crises in Palestine and Ukraine, but let’s not forget the Burmese struggling to regain their democracy from the brutal military junta. Let’s not forget the millions of Afghan women whose right to equality and freedom have been stolen by the Taliban. Across Asia-Pacific region victims and human rights defenders are standing up to face dictators and despots. They inspire us and we need to defend and support them. I took a photo of this simple wooden wall message in the International Criminal Court in The Hague and met Ghandi in the park…

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The new single, The King of Jakarta is now on Spotify! Have a listen here: https://tinyurl.com/PatrickBurgessSpotify

All proceeds from the sales of the single will be donated to the human rights programs of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR.)

Show your Support on BANDCAMP: https://patburgess.bandcamp.com/track/the-king-of-jakarta

‘The King of Jakarta’ is a celebration of the richness and diversity of the city, told through the eyes of an ‘ojek’ motorcycle taxi driver, the “emperor of the alleys” who floats through the tiny lanes, backyards and gaps in the gridlocked traffic.

The new single is OUT NOW on Bandcamp! https://patburgess.bandcamp.com/track/the-king-of-jakarta

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The new single, The King of Jakarta is now on Spotify! Listen to it here: https://tinyurl.com/PatrickBurgessSpotify

All proceeds from the sales of the single will be donated to the human rights programs of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR.)

Show your Support on BANDCAMP: https://patburgess.bandcamp.com/track/the-king-of-jakarta

‘The King of Jakarta’ is a celebration of the richness and diversity of the city, told through the eyes of an ‘ojek’ motorcycle taxi driver, the “emperor of the alleys” who floats through the tiny lanes, backyards and gaps in the gridlocked traffic.

The new single is OUT NOW on Bandcamp! https://patburgess.bandcamp.com/track/the-king-of-jakarta

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JOIN US this Saturday 22nd June for the online PREMIERE of the
NEW MUSIC VIDEO for ‘The King of Jakarta’
the new single about an ‘ojek’ motorcycle taxi driver
by singer-songwriter, human rights activist, PATRICK BURGESS…
JOIN US HERE: https://youtu.be/LJ20P1Mbquk
Premieres on YouTube this Sat 22 June 3:30pm AEST

Hear it first on BANDCAMP: https://patburgess.bandcamp.com/track/the-king-of-jakarta

All proceeds from the sales of the single will be donated to the human rights programs of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR.)

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Patrick Burgess’s new single about an ‘ojek’ driver, ‘The King of Jakarta’ releases TODAY on Bandcamp!

‘The King of Jakarta’ is a celebration of the richness and diversity of the city, told through the eyes of an ‘ojek’ motorcycle taxi driver, the “emperor of the alleys” who floats through the tiny lanes, backyards and gaps in the gridlocked traffic.

The new single is OUT NOW on Bandcamp! 

‘The King of Jakarta’ will be also launched in Jakarta TONIGHT with a live performance of original songs at ‘Rights Night’ at the Star Kemang restaurant and music club, Jakarta on Saturday June 1, 2024. Doors open at 6pm, music from 7pm.  The evening will commence with Usman Hamid and the Black Stones, followed by an acoustic set from Patrick Burgess, the launch of the single ‘The King of Jakarta’ and rocking ‘til closing time with the Jakarta legends of the Jaya Blues Band.

All proceeds from the night and future sales of the single will be donated to the human rights programs of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR.)

https://patburgess.bandcamp.com/track/the-king-of-jakarta

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Patrick Burgess’s new single about an ‘ojek’ driver, ‘The King of Jakarta’ will be launched with a live performance of original songs at ‘Rights Night’ at the Star Kemang restaurant and music club, Jakarta on Saturday June 1, 2024. Doors open at 6pm, music from 7pm.  All proceeds from the night and future sales of the single will be donated to the human rights programs of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR.)

The evening will commence with Usman Hamid and the Black Stones, followed by an acoustic set from Patrick Burgess, the launch of the single ‘The King of Jakarta’ and rocking ‘til closing time with the Jakarta legends of the Jaya Blues Band.

‘The King of Jakarta’ is a celebration of the richness and diversity of the city, told through the eyes of a motorcycle taxi driver, the “emperor of the alleys” who floats through the tiny lanes, backyards and gaps in the gridlocked traffic.

The new single will be available on Bandcamp 01.06.24! https://patburgess.bandcamp.com

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A little over a year ago I was asked to deliver the keynote speech, along with Bangladesh’s Minister for Foreign Affairs at their national day of remembrance of the genocide that accompanied the birth of their county in 1971. As a human rights lawyer and singer-songwriter I was very pleased when they presented me with a copy of the original Concert for Bangladesh, the first major music event for a humanitarian cause, organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, with Ringo Star, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and others performing for free. The day after the speech I found myself jamming with locals in a small Bangladeshi music shop. Inspirational songs and a loud voice demanding justice…we need you now, more than ever.

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The song, ‘Oh le le le’, I wrote 20 years ago and the video shot in Timor Leste in the aftermath of the 30 year conflict seems unfortunately to be just as relevant today. In 2003 I wrote these lyrics inspired by human rights defenders I was working with.  “…Freedom alive or dead that’s our battle cry… For every one that you cut down a thousand more will rise… Timor, Burma, Tibet, Palestine…”  The track is on Bandcamp and Spotify or take a look at the video, shot in the smoking ruins of Timor:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHRMwfG5fkM

Tune into hear ‘Oh le le le’ on Bandcamp: https://patburgess.bandcamp.com/album/ground-zero-3