Clinton's list

U.S. President Bill Clinton has kicked off the new year with a little surprise. He released what is now known as Clinton's List. Like a teacher, Clinton has issued report cards evaluating the democratic behavior of Asian countries, whom he possibly regards as his pupils. On this list, Indonesia is mentioned as a country in which democracy has yet to be established. The same is also said about Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam and Laos. The list also ranks countries such as Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan among those in which democracy is beginning to take hold.

It seems that Clinton, who is scheduled to be sworn in for a second term on Jan. 20, can be expected in the coming days to be more active putting together report cards such as this one. Democracy and human rights are likely to feature higher in his foreign policy campaigns. All that, however, will be meant merely for domestic policy ends, to be consumed by those who voted for him and to stifle the disparaging statements from adversaries in the Republican Party. The list will not prevent Clinton from establishing agreeable relations with countries that are mentioned.

In any case, Clinton will be unable to ignore the reality that his country has an interest in maintaining relations with those countries. As long as those countries are economically and politically beneficial to his administration and country, Clinton appears to have no other choice, a situation that is well- reflected in his firm and persistent efforts to improve relations with China.

In Bill Clinton's view, democracy embraces a double standard: it is advantageous to his domestic political ends, yet it can be ignored as long as relations with the country in question benefit the U.S.

-- Republika, Jakarta