World Forum for Democratization in Asia

Asian democrats organize series of strategy development workshops

A group of Asian democracy activists converged in Taipei from December 15-17, 2004, to develop strategies to help closed societies in the region democratize. Organised by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) the workshop, entitled “Assisting democratization in Asia’s closed societies”, is the first of three where activists from Asia and other regions were invited to draw up action plans for Burma, Bhutan, China, Laos, North Korea, Tibet and Vietnam.

 
ARDA sponsored a part of the workshop and was actively involved in the discussions. ARDA will be responsible for organising the second workshop which is scheduled for March 2005.  The topic for this workshop is “Assisting transitions to democracy in Asia” and will focus of the following countries: Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka. 

 
The workshop opened with remarks Professor TC Cheng from TFD and Dr. Chee Soon Juan, chairman of ARDA. Dr Cheng encouraged democrats to push on with their agenda as democracy is still the best way to organise society. By coming together democracy activists from across Asia will hasten the development of freedom and human rights in the region. Dr Chee reiterated the point that it is only when defenders of democracy work in concert that the force of change is strengthened. He urged the participants to focus on concrete strategies that could be adopted by pro-democracy groups.

 
Below are highlights of the discussions that took place over the two-day workshop (details of the discussion are being prepared and will be meade available when they are ready):

Burma - Dr. Saan Aung, a Burmese Member of Parliament-elect, highlighted the problems faced by the people of Burma, which includes the production of narcotics and drugs trafficking due to the deteriorating political and human rights situation. Increasing numbers of internally displaced persons, drug addiction, poverty, HIV-AIDS epidemic are threats beyond its border and need regional and international attention. Dr. Aung appealed called on the pro-democracy organizations to “…..Reject the SPDC’s “Roadmap” process and the “National Convention” being convened until the process becomes fully democratic.” He also appealed for ASEAN to “Bar Burma from serving as Chairman of ASEAN in 2006 and immediately review Burma’s membership with a view to suspend Burma as a member unless progress towards constitutional and democratic reforms in Burma is evident. Dr. Aung also called for the international community to support Burma’s struggle for restoration of democracy, respect for human rights and justice.

Bhutan - The Bhutan paper was presented on behalf of Mr SK Prahdhan, the Secretary-General of the Nepal-based Bhutanese organization People’s Forum for Human Rights and Development and Development (Bhutan). He was released in September 2004 after being imprisoned for three years by the Nepali government. Mr. Pradhan was not able to be present at this workshop as he was not granted a travel document in Nepal. In his paper, Mr. Pradhan highlighted the problems pro-democracy groups-in exile from Bhutan are facing, “Threats of abduction and death, threats of political conspiracy, arrest and incarceration, lack of finance, lack of concrete support from the international community, lack of support and understanding from the host country (Nepal) and inadequate role of donors……… The government of Bhutan is always after the Bhutanese leaders and activists. The intention is to silence the voice for democracy and human rights by all means.”

China - Mr. Wang Dan a renowned dissident from China was one of the panelists who presented the situation in China. Mr. Wang is the Chairman of the Chinese Association for Constitutionalism. He was one of the most visible student leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. He was arrested and sentenced twice, in 1989 and 1995 by the Chinese government for conspiring to overthrow the Communist Party of China. He eventually spent seven years in a prison in Liaoning and was exiled in 1998 under pressure from the international community. Mr. Wang who now lives in New York is pursuing his Ph. D. In his presentation he gave three concrete suggestions on how the international community can help in the democratization process in China. “1. International NGOs and nongovernmental forces should promote and publicize the importance of establishing a civil society in China, and lobby their governments to pressure China’s government, and promote influential media to reinforce reports on this issue; 2. International NGOs should hold more seminars to discuss China and ask Chinese dissidents and common people to participate in these seminars, so that their causes will be known to the world and fed back to China so as to increase their effect; 3. Carry out leadership training for people with domestic NGOs and the overseas democratic movement, providing them with experiences of other countries and NGO operation knowledge”.

Laos - The Laotian situation was presented by Mr. Baramy Mitthivong, a US-based youth activist and director if the United Lao Action Centre. Mr Mitthivong reports, “While the Laos PDR may forge ahead with trade and market reforms, it emulates China and Vietnam in the political arena by ruthlessly crushing all opposition to its monopoly on power…. Since the communist regime does not tolerate any government organizations that have political agendas, democracy activists are forced to go underground. Anyone suspected of challenging the regime faces imprisonment and death, as in the case of the October 1999, student and democracy activists. Participants in the attempt protest were systematically rounded up and never seen again” Among his suggestions to help the situation in Laos, Mr. Mitthivong recommended that the international and regional bodies adopt a common strategy to assist democracy activists within closed societies.

North Korea - The panelists presenting the political and human rights situation in North Korea were Dr. Choi Woonsang, former ambassador to Jamaica, Morocco, Egypt and India, Mr. Howard Young, a South Korean rights activist and Mr. Park Kwang Il, a North Korean high school teacher who was arrested and to be detained by security agents until he escaped to China. It was reported in this session that at least two million people, about 10% of the whole North Korean population have been starved to death since the mid-1990s. North Koreans who successfully defect to China are haunted by fear of arrests, both by the Chinese police and the North Korean secret police. It is estimated that there are 150,000 to 200,000 political prisoners languishing in the concentration camps presently. Mr. Young’s report stated that “Those detained are perceived as wrongdoers and political prisoners, and family members reaching 3 generations are also detained in camps due to guilt by association without any judicial process or legal resources whatsoever. They spend a lifetime mining, timber-cutting or farming under brutal living conditions worse than wild animals.” Educating the North Korean people about democracy and human rights is of utmost importance. Refugee camps set up in neighbouring countries would also be crucial in helping North Koreans. There was also a call for China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US to pressure the North Korean on the human rights and nuclear weapons issues.

Tibet -  Mr. Tseten Norbu, the executive director of the Tibet Institute, reiterated the Five Point Peace Plan that His Holiness had proposed to the Chinese government. However, China has rebuffed these proposals. Former Minister of Security, Mr. Pema Chhinjor Khangtetsang also a Steering Committee Member of ARDA, reported that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that he is willing to seek a solution for Tibet within the framework of China and that he striving for greater autonomy for the Tibetan people. Mr. Khangtetsang ended his presentation with this quote from he Dalai Lama, “We are living today in a very interdependent world. One nation’s problems can no longer be solved by itself. Without a sense of universal responsibility, our very survival is in danger. I have, therefore, always believed in the need for better understanding, closer cooperation and greater respect among the various nations of the world.”

Vietnam - The situation in Vietnam was presented by Mr. Vo Van Ai and Mr. Tony Nguyen. Their presentations highlighted the suppression of religious freedom, the political repression and the lack of information received by the people of Vietnam. Included in the list of proposals for assisting Vietnam’s democratization process is the establishment of an “think tank” to work towards the shared goals of democracy in the Asian region. As with the North Koreans, many Vietnamese are not aware of their basic human rights. Thus support to bring information to and circulation of information amongst the people is crucial. Campaigns to free political prisoners in Vietnam, namely Dr. Nguyan Dan Que, Mr. Pham Que Dong, Rev Nguyen Hong Quang , Mr. Phom Hon Sen etc., “provide useful opportunities to circulate information to the human rights situation in Vietnam to international forums such as the U.N. and the European Parliament and other international fora.” It was noted that ARDA has called on the Vietnam government to free Dr. Nguyen Dan Que and the political prisoners. ARDA is also actively campaigning for their release through its website.

The Organising Committee for the WFDA also met in Taipei during the workshop to make further plans for the conference to be held from August 1-3, 2005. The mebers of the Organising Committee are: ARDA, Alternative Asean Ntework for Burma (Altsean), Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and TFD. The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) has been invited to joing the Committee.  

A press statement was also drafted and released by the representatives of the organizations that attended this workshop. See below for the full statement.

The 2nd workshop will be organized by ARDA early next year. It is entitled “Assisting Transitions to Democracy in Asia”. Participants from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka will be invited. More details will be made available in due course.

For Immediate Release: December 20, 2004
ASIAN DEMOCRATS URGE: RELEASE SUU KYI NOW
Taipei - Representatives of pro-democracy movements from 13 Asian countries  have stepped up the call for the release of Burmese leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the wake of new threats on her personal security and her health.

The activists were participants of the World Forum for Democratization in Asia's  workshop on "Assisting Democratization in Asia's Closed Societies" that was hosted by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy in Taipei, December 16 and 17.

On December 14, the 1991 Nobel Laureate's team of personal bodyguards was withdrawn from her compound and her access to medical attention was drastically reduced, just weeks after Burma's military regime officially extended her detention by a year. "This is yet another reason for Burma to be disqualified from chairing Asean. Instead of releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's generals have placed her at greater risk," stressed workshop participant Mr Gus Miclat of the Philippines.

The workshop participants also called for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Asia, including:
* Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do and Nguyen Dan Que of Vietnam,
   and
* Tenzin Delek, a Tibetan monk facing the death sentence in China.

The activists also urged the authorities concerned to grant adequate access by health professionals and family members to all political prisoners.

Another matter of serious concern raised by the workshop was the harassments and detentions suffered by activists from Bhutan and North Korea who sought refuge in Nepal and China, respectively. "Harassment of these activists will only worsen and prolong the root causes of the problems already felt by these neighboring countries," explained Korean rights advocate Mr Young Howard.

Human rights and democracy issues of countries that lacked a high profile in the Asian pro-democracy movement were discussed at the workshop, including Laos. Mr Baramy Mitthivong, Director of the United Lao Action Center welcomed the recent releases of high-profile political prisoners Feng Sakchittaphong and Latsami Khampoui and hoped that the authorities would be more lenient on other activists, including those detained for the Vangtao Incident: "As Laos currently chairs ASEAN, it should demonstrate its appreciation of such privilege by releasing political prisoners on humanitarian grounds."

The workshop is the first of a series of 3 to be held over the next 6 months in preparation for the inaugural Biennial Conference of the World Forum for Democratization in Asia, to be held in Taiwan next year.

Media Contacts:

Mr Bo Tedards, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. Tel: + 8862 27080100
Mr Gus Miclat, Initiatives for International Dialogue. Tel: + 639177013099
Ms Chee Siok Chin, the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia. Tel + 6594511459
Ms Debbie Stothard, Altsean
Mr Young Howard, North Korean Democracy Network. Tel: + 822117992735