Almost 25 years ago, when leading liberals and democrats around the region decided to establish the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, there was optimism about the prospects of democratization in Asia. Globally, the end of the Cold War also seemed to have vindicated liberalism and democracy.
Today, all is not well with liberal democracy in Asia and indeed in many parts of the world.
Recent trends and patterns in elections and governance suggest a clear recession, even a reversal, in democratic development worldwide, with challenges in the form of authoritarianism and illiberalism fueled by rising sentiments of nationalism and populism, fed by fear, anger and frustration in reaction to rising inequality and threats of terrorism.
In Asia, there is concern about the continuing and intensifying dominance of populism, illiberalism and authoritarianism in many countries in the region.
The political situation in Cambodia continues to deteriorate with the dissolution of the main opposition party, making free and fair elections next year highly unlikely. In the Philippines, a democratically elected leader continues to consolidate political power in the office of the president, not to mention the abuses of basic rights in the war on drugs.
Religious extremism and economic protectionism are on the rise in Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, and this impinges on these countries’ ability to foster good governance and democratic consolidation.
In Hong Kong, the policy of “one country, two systems” has been strained in recent years, and China’s claim of “comprehensive jurisdiction” raises serious concerns about the territory’s guaranteed autonomy.
The date of Thailand’s elections remains unclear and there are increasing concerns on the willingness of the military junta to transfer political power to a civilian government.
All throughout Asia, human rights violations are still prevalent, and liberals and democrats are still struggling to combat fake news and misinformation as they try to address these issues.
Yet, rather than lamenting the state of the world and placing the blame on others, we need to reassess and reimagine their priorities to tackle the pressing issues of the world today, while retaining the fundamental liberal principles and values which ensure social peace and prosperity.
We must go back to the heart of the matter, which is to provide a better quality of life for people.
Liberals and democrats need to show what liberalism and democracy can offer by getting back to basics.
We need to demonstrate that we know what the concerns of people are and offer real solutions, not just abstract principles and ideology.
We need to get back to what we do best, being the force for change and progress. In the end, I have no doubt that history will vindicate us, and that the principles of democracy, human rights, a well-managed market economy and the rule of law are the only pathways to peace, justice and prosperity.
Abhisit Vejjajiva is director of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats and a former prime minister of Thailand.
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under