Jusuf Wanandi named to new Asia forum board

JAKARTA (JP): The Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia Pacific (FDP-AP) has named Jusuf Wanandi of the Centre for the Study of International Sciences (CSIS) to its board of directors and executive committee.

The forum was set up in Seoul last week with a purpose designed to promote democracy in the region. It came at the initiative of former Korean president and opposition leader Kim Dae-jung and former Philippine president Corazon Aquino.

Kim and Aquino are among the five co-presidents of the movement. The others are from Costa Rica, Japan and India.

The forum is comprised of Co-Presidents, a General Assembly, a Board of Directors, an Executive Committee, an Executive Secretariat, and, if necessary, a Board of Senior Advisors, Board of Advisors and Special Commissions.

Chairperson of the General Assembly is Raul S. Manglapus from the Philippines.

Jusuf is the only Indonesian in the leadership composition.

"It's an honor (for me) and at the same time an obligation and responsibility," Jusuf told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

"I agreed to become a member of the board because this forum plans to do some real work in this part of the world and bear the responsibility to develop, expand and deepen the democracy and democratic values in Asia Pacific," he said.

Jusuf said he would propose Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the Moslem socio-educational organization Nahdlatul Ulama, to sit on the advisory board. "Of course we still have to ask him to join this movement first."

He would also suggest one or two other people for the advisory posts and would consult with the four Indonesians who are among the 200 members of the forum: Miriam Budiardjo and Marzuki Darusman, both of the National Commission for Human Rights, Theo Sambuaga, a member of parliament, and Adnan Buyung Nasution, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institutes (YLBHI).

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, former president of Germany Richard Weizsacker, and Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, have been proposed to become senior advisors.

The forum in its inaugural meeting issued a strong statement calling on the Myanmar military regime to release Suu Kyi and restore full democracy in the country.

Jusuf explained that the forum will fight for democracy through peaceful means. "The basic principle is no intervention, no coercion and no violence. Through persuasion, dialog and communication we would like to achieve democracy in this part of the world."

The forum would not preach nor put political or economic sanctions on Myanmar, said Jusuf, adding that this was the important difference with the efforts being made by some Western countries to promote democracy. (sim)