Introduction
South East Asia consists of Borneo, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, and Vietnam.
Changing experiences of democracy in Southeast Asia
South East Asia just like any other part of the world has experienced hard times in terms of democracy. Looking at Malaysia for instance, one can say it has come a long way in the realization of its democracy. Malaysia has had to control most of its critics who are against the government. This can be proved by the political arrest of deputy minister, Anwar in 1998. He was dismissed and subsequently arrested. This made a good number of people move out to the internet to protest his arrest. The allies of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed control the media making it partial to the government. During Anwar’s dismissal and particularly after a few months, over 50 websites emerged circulating letters everywhere in Malaysia.
One Anwar’s website Anwar-on-line, his webmaster said the web had become more successful than he never expected (Zain 1999). The government, however, attempted to control the use of the internet but could not manage it. According to a veteran journalist and a political commentator, Pillar, the government “does not know how it works, or how it can be used to spread information, or how it can be a useful armory in the cultural battle for the hearts and minds of the Malay community. Its opponent saw it as a practical tool to overcome the official and government control of mass media and took it like ducks to water”. (Zain 1999)
Estimation shows that by the time the tenth general election took place n 29th Nov. 1999 the number of internet users in Malaysia had exceeded 500,000, rising to about 2 million in 2002 (berita-keadilan.net).
However, given all these instances where Mahathir has always controlled almost everything in Malaysia, the recent impressive showing of the opposition in the poll saw Ruling National Front (RNF)
coalition lose its dominant grip of power after forty 40 years. Till the recount poll, NF continued to enjoy a two-thirds majority in parliament consequently giving rise to strong autocratic leaders like former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed, who ruled for 22 years. The current prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s faces a new political reality after the governing coalition he led won 140 seats.
“We are very pleased with the results, but it is clear that the issues we campaigned on like corruption, economy and high crime rate struck a chord with the electorate results are a landmark to democratic politics in the country” she added.
This new political dispensation has given a new look to the association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) new look. This association has been linked to old political orders like Ferdinand Marcos, Mahathir Mohammed, Sunhat, and Lee Kuna Yew of Singapore who was against molt party democracy.
Today almost all the South East countries except Singapore have multi-party democracy. In the present time, there is strong democracy in South East Asia given the outcome of the recent polls where the opposition triumphed in Malaysia. This is a good show of a fulfilled democracy in South East Asia coming from Malaysia being one of the most developed countries in the region.
Democracy has been the weakest in South East Asia for a few years ago. The Philippines encountered dictatorship and rampant corruption in the 1980-90s during the reign of Ferdinand Marcos. This time round there was witnessed street battles between pro-democracy activities (Huntington 1991)
Further weakest democracy was experienced in Indonesia for 32 years during the reign of Indonesia’s dictator, the late surhato. In 1992, the struggle between military and demonstrators in Thailand ensured that democracy returned after a brief military interlude. However the same was experienced recently after deposing of Prime Minister Shinawatra Thaksin by the military.
Further, Malaysia also witnessed a weak democracy during Mahathir rein. Since the 1980-90s, Malaysia became less democratic (Jesudason 1998). Under Mahathir’s leadership, the independence of the judiciary has been curtailed, and the powers of the elected monarchy weakened. This situation gave rise, and emergence of civil societies like Aliran (1997), Syaram (1987), Hakkam (1991), women’s rights group, Teganita (1990), and sisters in Islam, and consumer groups such as the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP).
Although the main objective of civil society association is to keep checks and balances of a political system, specific interests, and consumers, it is explained that the founders and members of many of Malaysia’s public interest organizations are from non-Malay people (Jesudason 1996). This was a result of the political dominance by UMNO, the weakness of non-Malay political parties, and privileging of Malay rights. It is this situation of lack of democracy that gave rise to reforms and the Anwar issue.
With the fall of old big wigs like Suharto, Mahathir and other democratic spaces of South East Asia is o the ride. This is attributed to the recent election s in Malaysia. Except for a few countries like the Philippines where there is a problem with the government of Arroyo, democracy is prevailing. The recent return of Thaksin in Thailand and the military’s commitment to restore back leadership to duly elected civilians represents true democracy in South East Asia.
The rising economies like Singapore even though it is a single-party state, are a clear fulfillment of a successive democracy in South East Asia. However, the strong civil society in Singapore acts as a balance and checks for the government. On the other hand failure of democracy has seen some states pullback in development. More particularly Indonesia and the Philippines have been hit by this lack of democracy hence affected their economy.
The question of democracy is entirely stability and freedom. Where there is stability the roots of freedom are likely to entrench far and wide. Democracy grows in an atmosphere where there is freedom of expression, movement, respect for human rights, and good administration of national resources.
In a stable democracy, the economy is able to yield and grow in a precedent manner. Poor leadership excludes freedom. Without freedom, no democracy will prevail. Therefore the South East Asia states should be stable and free from military coups as in the case of the Philippines so as for stability to prevail and lead to democracy. With freedom there is democracy.
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