Activity

Democratic transitions in Asia under threat - WFDA

Democrats from the Asia and beyond came together from 9-10 March 2005 for the 2nd World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) workshop entitled “Assisting Transitions to Democracy in Asia”. Held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the participants who represented at least 20 organizations, came together to discuss the strategies to assist the democratization process for the countries that were invited to give presentations.

The panelists which included representatives from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and Singapore, presented issues on civil liberties and the current political situations in their respective countries.

At the conclusion of the 2 full-day workshop, specific strategies were drafted by the country presenters and participants to help to promote greater freedoms of expression and association in each of these six states. A common thread which ran through the discussions was the call for free and fair elections and universal suffrage by the country presenters.

A press statement was also released by the WFDA committee to express concerns for the pervasive and indeed regressive undemocratic developments in the presenting countries in this 2nd WFDA workshop. Please see below for the complete statement.

It is vital that pro-democratic forces from the world over come together to challenge autocratic and repressive regimes in the region. Asian democrats in cooperation with their peers from other continents will continue to work tirelessly against despots and dictators. WFDA provides the platform for change for those who believe in the respect and sanctity of all human beings called on for a purpose into this world.

ASIAN DEMOCRATS: DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS IN ASIA UNDER THREAT

For immediate release


Statement of the World Forum for Democratization in Asia
Kuala Lumpur, 12 March 2005

Asian democrats from more than 20 organisations in 12 countries attending a workshop on “Assisting Transitions to Democracy in Asia”,  have expressed grave concerns over the threats to democracy in several countries in the region.

“The actions perpetrated against the Parliament and elected legislators of Nepal and Cambodia are attacks not just against democracy, but also against the constitutions of those countries,” emphasized Ms Chee Siok Chin, Executive Director of the Alliance for Reofrm and Democracy in Asia (ARDA). On behalf of the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA), ARDA organised the workshop on “Assisting Transitions to Democracy in Asia”,  held in Kuala Lumpur on 9-10 March 2005.

“Meanwhile, we object to the actions of the Pakistan authorities that prevented our colleague, Senator Sanaullah Baloch, from leaving the country to attend our workshop,” said Ms Chee.

The workshop on “Assisting Transitions to Democracy in Asia” was the second of three Strategy Development Workshops of the WFDA. The first workshop, titled “Assisting democratization in Asia’s closed societies” was organized by the Taiwan Foundation for Demoracy last December, and the 3rd workshop titled “Assisting the consolidation of new Asian democracies” is scheduled to be held in May. The strategy workshops constitute preparation for the first WFDA Biennial Conference in August.

Participants of the Workshop collectively expressed particular concern over the following urgent situations: 

Nepal
WFDA is highly alarmed by the rapid reversal of democracy in Nepal since the beginning of this year. Recognizing the deep-seated roots of the conflict in Nepal, we condemn the continuing acts of violence by both the Maoist rebels and the security forces, and call for an immediate ceasefire and resumption of dialogue. As democrats, however, we believe true peace cannot be separated from democratization. Therefore, we condemn the 1 February proclamation by King Gyanendra suspending the civilian government and the “non-suspendable” fundamental rights in the Constitution. We call for the immediate and unconditional restoration of the Constitution, the reconvening of the legally elected parliament, and commencement of preparations for genuinely free and fair elections. We also extend our solidarity to all political parties and social movements which are undertaking non-violent actions, such as the demonstrations planned for 14 March, to achieve these aims.

Cambodia
WFDA is highly concerned about the lifting of parliamentary immunity from opposition members of parliament -- opposition leader Sam Rainsy, Cheam Channy, and Chea Poch -- on 3 February 2005. This represents a serious threat to the effective functioning of constitutional opposition in Cambodia. We call on the government of Cambodia for the immediate release of MP Cheam Channy (arrested the same day), the restoration of the immunity of all three, and the guarantee of safe return for Sam Rainsy and Chea Poch from their enforced exile. If these conditions are not met, we call on all concerned governments to take appropriate actions, such as imposing countervailing visa sanctions. 

Pakistan
WFDA is extremely concerned at the actions of the Pakistani government in preventing Senator Sanaullah Baloch from participating in the Workshop. Senator Baloch had been invited to speak on the political situation in Pakistan; however, on 7 March, without warning, he was not allowed to board his flight to Malaysia, despite that all his travel documents were in order. We demand an explanation as to why our colleague could not attend this meeting, and we condemn the practice of using the “Exit Control List” as a tool of repression against political figures. Furthermore, we express our dismay at the recent escalation of state-directed violence against innocent civilians in the Balochistan region, and call for all disputes to be resolved through constitutional and democratic means.

Hong Kong
WFDA is concerned that the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Tung Chee-hwa may result in a weakening by the Beijing government of the provisions in the Basic Law regarding the term of the Chief Executive. This could further reduce the value of the Basic Law as a guarantee of constitutional rights of the people of Hong Kong.

Singapore
WFDA remains concerned about the unabated atmosphere of fear and stifling of dissent. Notably, the government is continuing its practice of using defamation lawsuits to bankrupt opposition figures in order to bar them from the political arena. 

ENDS

Contact: Ms Chee Siok Chin, tel + 65 9451 1459 or exdr@asiademocracy.org
More information about WFDA is available online at www.wfda.net.