Leaders convene in Taipei to discuss prospects for Asian democratization

ROC President Chen Shui-bian shared his vision of a global democratic community and urged the region's democracies to help authoritarian states like China democratize at the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) held Sept. 15-17 at the Taipei International Convention Center. The meeting, attended by former and incumbent national leaders, government officials and democracy activists from around the world, was aimed at fostering consolidation among democratic states and NGOs in the Asian region.

Chen delivered the opening speech Sept. 16, in which he identified the authoritarian regimes controlling North Korea, Myanmar and China as threats to peace and stability in the region. He stressed that the key to resolving these challenges is for democracies to work together to form a "world democratic community," even as they consolidate their own democratic institutions and help foster democratic reforms in non-democratic states.

"To safeguard Asia's peace and prosperity, we must provide an impetus for further democratizations among countries in Asia and establish an Asian democratic community within this region," Chen said.

One of the most highly anticipated sessions on the WFDA agenda was the Sept. 15 leaders' forum featuring four former presidents who spoke publicly about their experiences helping their countries democratize. Former ROC President Lee Teng-hui, known in some circles as "Mr. Democracy," outlined Taiwan's path to democracy during his presidency and advised that Asian nations "support each other to bring democracy and human rights to non-democratic countries." Former President Rafael Hipolito Mejia Dominguez of the Dominican Republic and former President Francisco Guillermo Flores Perez of El Salvador, both longtime supporters of a democratic Taiwan, described their countries' arduous roads to freedom and democracy.

Even though Taipei does not have official diplomatic ties with Ulaanbaatar, former Prime Minister Rinchinnyamiin Amarjargal of Mongolia attended the WFDA conference to speak about his country's hard-earned democracy. In spite of the economic hardship Mongolia faced after regime change, he said he was convinced that democracy works, and that "it needs protection and support." A recurring theme at the conference was the issue of whether Asian cultures are compatible with the principles of democracy. Authoritarian states have often justified their oppression by claiming that democratic values are ill-suited to Asian countries because of the cultural differences between the East and West. Several democratic activists at the WFDA conference testified to their belief that democracy, though not a panacea, is a universal value and something to which the people of Asia aspire.

By the end of the three-day conference, no fewer than 10 action plans were announced. They were largely based on discussions held prior to and during the conference, providing concrete goals and measures that can help lead to the democratization of Asia.

These plans include ensuring equal political participation for both men and women, strengthening the Asian network to promote human rights and democracy, fighting domestic and international corruption and improving the mechanisms for cooperation among nations. Also announced at the conference was an index on which to gauge the quality of democratic countries in Asia.