Democracy and Human Rights in Asia - Assignment Example

Democracy and Human Rights in Asia Strengths and weaknesses of the democracies of India and Philippines Democracy of India The democratic setup inIndia is the greatest strength to the country. The factors discussed below constitute the sources of the strengths or weaknesses of the democracy in India. Independence of Judiciary Independence of judiciary and press forms a strong basis and play a vital role for the democracy in India. This independence derived from constitution cannot be interfered by legislature or executive. However, there are corruptions and misuse of freedom, reported on a larger scale. Economic development The economic development in the recent past has been achieved through structural reforms and reforms in banking sector undertaken by the government. The Reserve Bank of India (Central Bank) is an independent body in formulating monetary policies without interference from the government. Technological developments This has created employment opportunities both domestically as well as internationally with demographic advantages in its favor with young workforce. Use of mobile phones and internet has increased the political awareness on account of faster dissemination of information. Communal harmony Non-discriminatory policies of the government and impartial judiciary ensure fair treatment to all. However, caste system ingrained in the society and religious fundamentalism were the primary reasons for communal violations. Women’s participation Several policy measures taken by the government such as vocational skill development programs, providing health care in rural areas and lending loans through banks for businesses have improved their position. Poverty and illiteracy Programs by the Central governments like guaranteed employment in rural areas under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and guaranteeing free and compulsory education to children through Free Education Bill have resulted into remarkable progress in combating poverty and illiteracy. However, poverty and illiteracy among the most backward sections of the society are the challenges. Corruption & influence of corporate companies Corruption at all levels stifles economic development in the country. The benefits of the well intended socio-economic programs do not reach poor due to collusion of politicians and government officials. The growing influence of corporations through corruption results into exploitation of common man. Human rights violations High handedness of the armed forces, paramilitary and border security forces, police actions against extremists and atrocities committed by police in prisons, exploitation of the socially backward classes undermine the democratic values. Democracy of Philippines The democratic institutions were systematically subverted and their authorities undermined in the erstwhile President Ferdinand E. Marco’s regime. Declaration of martial law in1972 curtailed civil liberties. Therefore, the following strengths and weaknesses of the democracy need to be viewed in this backdrop. Education The democratic system is, to a larger extent, comparable to that of US. The importance given to education in the very early years, as provided in Article 23 of the Title IV, “Public education shall be free and obligatory in all schools of the nation” form the basis for a thriving democracy to-day. Political uncertainties and declining economy hampered the progress in education front. The budgetary allocations, consequently infrastructural facilities available in education sector are inadequate. Legal system The legal system is very elaborate and the judiciary is independent. Bribery and corruption weakens the legal system of the country and also result into delays in delivering justice. State of economy The country has undertaken economic reforms for faster growth of economy. Philippine Development Plan 2011-16 outlines the macroeconomic growth strategy. ‘HSBC Global Research said the Philippines could become the world’s 16th largest economy by 2050’ Rappler (2012). Corruption Corruption in the country is the single most important factor which affects seriously the democratic values in Philippines. Corruption undermines impartiality of judiciary. Poverty Poverty level has been considerably coming down over the period in tune with the economic growth and the population below the poverty line is steadily decreasing. The agricultural reforms are expected to bring down this level further. Communal violence Communal violence in the country has been brought under control and conflicts between the communal groups and the consequent repressive measures in dealing with the communal issues have come down. Human Rights There have been clashes between NPA, the New People’s Army and government forces. Militant Islamic groups and private armies of politicians, industrialists and land lords have been over a period of time committing human rights violations. The weakness in the judiciary system and law enforcement agencies on account of corruption prevents any meaningful action against human rights violations. References Rappler.com (2012) Philippines, 16th largest economy in 2050, 13 Jan 2012, Available at: Accessed on 31 Oct 2012. 2. Prospects for establishing democracies in China and Burma/Myanmar China For analyzing the prospects for establishing democracy in China, we should ascertain whether the environment is conducive for democracy. If election is the basis for democratic setup, the Chinese are not new to elections at grass root levels and their participation in the process is very high. If economic growth is considered essential for survival of democracy, economic reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping, the architect of modern China has achieved significant economic growth. If education or literacy is the cornerstone of democracy the country’s achievements in this regard is impressive. All the ingredients necessary for a democratic setup exist in the country, except control over civil liberties. The country which wants to grow as an economic super power gains lot of exposure to other countries, their legal, economic and political systems and this in turn creates political awareness among the people. Therefore, democracy is now viewed in the country as a political vehicle essential to compete with the west. The people believe that it can eradicate the inefficiencies in the existing system as it would be equitable without favoritism and usher in social change. Democratization process in the western countries started with the people’s access to press. The advent of internet and social networks has created political awareness among the people. The dissemination of information or news flow cutting across the national borders or political boundaries is very fast. The people’s belief in the system is supported by the successful functioning of democracies elsewhere in the world with continued prosperity. The disintegration of erstwhile USSR and the failure of communism elsewhere in improving the standard of living have influenced the thinking of the people as well as the political leaders. The bait in the democratic system, acceptable to all human beings, is the enhanced level of freedom and civil liberties, apart from the power it gives to an ordinary citizen to choose his government. The political leaders are also aware of the ground realities and the process the nation undergoes leading to democracy is irreversible. Democracy in China could be introduced by replacing the existing system in phases with checks and balances for successful implementation. Burma (Myanmar) The democratic process started with 2010 elections has been a feeble attempt to revive democracy in a country which faced civil wars and was under military rule for a very long period. The people fed up with the human rights violations, poverty and poor health care look forward to a change. Under the military rule, which formally ended in 2011 by dissolving military junta, the country was totally cut-off from the rest of the world due to diplomatic isolation. Though the environment is not conducive for democracy to thrive under illiteracy and poverty, there is no other credible alternative. Also, the country is under tremendous pressure at international level to speedup the democratic process initiated. The relaxation of sanctions is very important as it will increase the level of business and political relationship of the nation with the other countries.  Myanmar’s opposition leader,  Aung San Suu Kyi, who has undergone house arrest for more than 15 years for the cause of democracy, has also been meeting the world leaders in this respect to ease their sanctions on the country. “Advocate of democracy in Myanmar meets Obama.” (Landler, M., 2012) The peoples’ dream of a democratic Burma is still far away since the reform process is very slow with lot of impediments in achieving this goal. For the fledgling democracy to take roots, the political awareness among the people is essential. Otherwise, people are susceptible to manipulations and threats. The democracy could be subverted easily by the antisocial elements through propaganda. There have been many democratically elected governments failed to uphold the ideals of democracy due to inefficiency in the administrative machinery and weaker legal and internal security system. Censorship on media and banning of websites under the military rule effectively prevented dissemination of information. Freedom of press and media are very important for the development and survival of democracy. After 2010 elections, some of the restrictions placed on media have been lifted. Other developments relating to labor unions, right to strike, relaxations in censorship and establishment of human rights commission are commendable as they are very important in speeding up the democratization of the country. In addition to these developments, release of political prisoners and ceasefire with Karen rebel augur well for the continuation of the democratic process. References Landler, M. (2012) Advocate of democracy in Myanmar meets Obama, The New York Times, 20 Sep 2012, Available at: Accessed on 30 Oct 2012 3. Emergence of local democracy in Indonesia Local heads of government throughout the country in Indonesia are elected directly. In the local elections the issues based on social and economical grounds relating to the regions take up the centre stage, and the intensity of the various factors in deciding the outcome of the elections vary from region to region. But, the local elections in the provinces of Papua and Aceh in 2006 have been closely watched by the nation and the world primarily for its implications on the issue of secession. It was hoped that the Special Autonomy Bill passed in 2001 granting regional autonomy to the provinces of Papua and Aceh would weaken the secessionist movements by suppressing the secessionist sentiments prevailing in these provinces. It was believed that devolution of more powers and decision making authority to the provinces can reduce the tensions between the central and provincial governments. The split in the movements, partly due to the difference of opinions over the acceptance of special autonomy, supports this view. However, there is also another school of thought that greater autonomy can only strengthen their ‘identity’ further to seek independence. Political history of the provinces, human rights violations perpetrated in these regions, inequality in economic growth, unfair wealth distribution and discrimination in social welfare activities are the important factors which strengthen the secessionist movements. Some of the factors are based on democratic values, and therefore, implementation of the bill without withdrawing military forces from these provinces neutralizes intended impact of the bill. The presence of military, hostility towards political campaigns and control over social activities in these regions undermine democratic system, which further intensifies the sentiments against the central government. When the democratic principles are violated, irrespective of the underlying causes, people protect against oppression and raise their voice for independence. Also, the provisions relating to the special autonomy status granted to these provinces in 2011 is considered inadequate to guarantee the rights that people are entitled to, in democratic a state. Local elections in Papua province is governed by several factors. The immigrants in the Papuan society, predominantly Muslims with voting rights along with various ethnic groups of native Papuans in the society complicate the analysis of electoral outcome. These internal divisions causing votes to split on ethnic lines make it very difficult for treating election as a referendum on secession, based on the victories scored by the political leaders who have connections with secessionist movements. Permutations and combinations of religious and various ethnic groups in support of a candidate do not truly reflect the ideologies. Mietzner, M. (2007, p. 15) states “The issue of Papuan independence was the elephant in the room during the entire campaign. Candidates neither expressed support for it nor discussed it in any detail, yet there were widespread discussions among voters about the preferences of the various candidates”. GAM which spearheaded armed struggle for independence in Aceh, control eight districts with governorship after the elections. But, the rifts in the rank and file shadows political victory of GAM when the organization is under pressure to deliver. In the case of Aceh, Mietzner, M. (2007, p.35) states, “in a public opinion survey held by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) around six weeks after the elections, 64 percent of respondents said that the relationship between Aceh and the central government had improved during the past year”. There are several Acehnese ethnic and non-Acehnese groups within the province. These divisions will weaken the ‘identity’ and reduce opposition to the centre over a period of time. GAM’s fight against corruption, misuse of power, and rampant human rights violations is very difficult, because chances of government ministers falling prey to corruption exist in all governments. Since they have blamed the central government for the same issues, maintaining their credibility to fight against the central government is blunted. Anti incumbency factor may play in favor of central government in future. The fair elections and the central government’s willingness for experimentation with democracy through local elections have enhanced the credibility of the policies of the central government among the people. Therefore, assessment of the peoples’ sentiment with reference to secession vs. special autonomy from the analysis of the results of the local elections would be very difficult. However, the emergence of local democracy has to some extent succeeded in allaying fears of secession. References Mietzner, M. (2007) LOCAL ELECTIONS AND AUTONOMY IN PAPUA AND ACEH: MITIGATING OR FUELING SECESSIONISM? Indonesia 84 (Oct 2007) Available at: Accessed on 31 Oct 2012. Read More