Asian democrats see hard work ahead

Asian democrats see hard work ahead

SINGAPORE (AFP): Asia faces an uphill battle for ensuring full
democracy despite significant inroads such as holding free
elections in Taiwan and Indonesia, the region's democrats said on
Sunday.

They said they expect the advance of information technology,
and the wide use of the Internet, to boost their campaign for
more open political systems.

Martin Lee, chairman Hong Kong's opposition Democratic Party,
said some Asian leaders wrongly argued that Western-style
democracy was not suited to the region because of the vast
cultural diversity.

"I think it is important for the world to know that we Asians
are not a different people. And if democracy is a good thing for
the people of any continent, then it is good for the people of
this continent," he told a news conference.

Lee, a member of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, attended a
forum on "political openness and democratic accountability" held
here Saturday.

Lim Guan Eng, vice chairman of the Democratic Action Party in
Malaysia, said democracy was boosted within the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping since the first
democratic elections in Indonesia last year.

The elections followed the fall of president Soeharto.
But Lim also noted the presence of laggards within ASEAN, which
groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

"Thailand has made tremendous progress, but I think generally,
ASEAN countries ... should take a proactive stand towards
democracy," he said.
"I think it's going to be a painful process. From our own
experiences, democracy is never given. It must be fought for and
I think the people of ASEAN countries will still have a lot of
fighting do to," he said.

Hong Kong's Lee said Asia has seen some progress in the move
toward democracy.
"But you also see setbacks," he said, citing the ouster of prime
minister Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan by the armed forces chief.

Wilson Tien, director for international affairs of Taiwan's
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said he was hopeful the
Internet would bolster pro-democracy movements because it made it
harder for governments to regulate information.

The DPP, headed by President Chen Shui-bian, upset the
dominant Kuomintang party in Taiwan's presidential elections
earlier this year.

Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, the grand old man of the Singapore
opposition, added: "There is no question that governments,
whatever they resort to, will not be able to prevent the advance
of democracy."

Chee Soon Juan, secretary general of the opposition Singapore
Democratic Party, said the future of democracy in East Asia would
depend on democrats banding together to exert some influence.

He cited the formation of a Forum of Democratic Leaders in the
Asia-Pacific which includes South Korean President Kim Dae Jung,
former Philippine president Corazon Aquino and Indian opposition
leader Sonia Gandhi, among others.

Democrats from the region should unite to "tell the
governments that you cannot bully one democrat in a country
without also affecting democrats in other countries," he said.