Asia-Pacific: Fighting for Democracy, Struggling for Peace

Il y a deux semaines se tenait le comité APC (Comité Asie-Pacifique) de la IUSY, l'occasion de prendre position sur les récents évenements au Népal, en Birmanie et aux Philippines. Je vous laisse découvrir la résolution sur la paix et la démocratie adoptée à cette occasion. Le MJS avait également pris position sur la situation au Népal (voir le communiqué publié avant le rétablissement du parlement et du gouvernement). Ce week-end, comité Afrique. Des débats entre-autres sur l'immigration. En France, la mobilisation continue contre la loi Sarkozy sur l'immigration. Hier mobilisation devant l'assemblée nationale. Prochaine manifestation nationale le 13 mai.

IUSY APC Statement: Fighting for Democracy, Struggling for Peace

Recent events in many parts of the Asia-Pacific represent a regression in democracy and civil liberties that we, young socialists and social democrats, view with great alarm and deep concern. As the largest political movement of the youth of the youth today, the International Union of Socialist Youth see the developments in Nepal, Burma and the Philippines as a reversal of the hard-won gains attained by democratic movements in the past. As it is, democratization in the region is still stunted and continuously threatened by the resilience of authoritarian regimes, war and violence, and the worsening poverty in many countries. The political climate in Nepal, Burma and the Philippines right now, therefore, serves as a setback to the struggle within and outside the Asia-Pacific to promote meaningful democracy, freedom, and just development in the region.

To date, King Gyanendra of Nepal, who abolished the parliament and usurped political power, offered to relinquish his political power and asked the opposition parties to nominate a Prime Minister. We believe that even such a decision on the part of the King still constitutes a grave infringement of democracy: the Nepali people have the sovereign right to choose their leaders, and not the monarchy. We condemn the violence with which the government addressed the spate of mass demonstrations in the country due to the refusal of King Gyanendra to restore democracy and we wish to express our solidarity with the democratic forces in Nepal that peacefully assert the Nepali people's democratic rights and welfare. We support the current efforts to launch a nationwide political process to re-assess the role of the monarchy in the country, which we believe would be imperative in re-opening the peace process in Nepal to end a violent and protracted insurgency.

In Burma, the hope for democracy is fast fading. The ruling junta's refusal to turn over political power to civilian authority as manifested by its absolute disregard of the landslide victory of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the recurring house arrest of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi continues to block efforts to democratize the country. The on-going military-backed convention to amend the constitution likewise betrays the desire of the military regime to perpetuate itself in power despite international pressure from the UN, EU and ASEAN to pave the way for a democratically elected government in Burma. We reiterate our strong condemnation of the Burmese military junta and renew our solidarity with the Burmese people. We also urge ASEAN to seriously consider the suspension of the Burma from the regional organization and to constantly pressure the military junta to relinquish their power to a civilian government.

IUSY Asia Pacific Committee also expresses its deep concern over the political developments in the Philippines. We condemn the abuses incurred by the Gloria Macapagal Arroy government against civil liberties, as evidenced by several draconian measures it has imposed on the media and the Filipino people to quell protests and investigations over an unresolved allegation of electoral fraud against the sitting President. While IUSY does not condone any violent scheme of grabbing power, we stand by the alienable right of people's movements to protest abuses and defend civil liberties, such as freedom of expression and press freedom. We believe that the imposition of Proclamation 1017, calibrated preemptive response (CPR), and an executive order that banned government officials from appearing before congressional investigations on corruption and other anomalies was a deliberate move to evade the search for truth and resolve democratically the political crisis confronting the nation today. We believe that a meaningdul resolution to the political crisis can only take place if serious questions on the legitimacy of President GMA's mandate are settled with integrity and with credibility.

The political problems in Nepal, Burma and the Philippines point to the direction of constitutional change. IUSY believes that systemic reforms must be introduced in these countries, but we are deeply concerned that the the initiatives to amend the constitution in Burma and Nepal are being done to perpuate the ruling government in power. In Burma, the exclusion of ethnic groups and democratic political parties such as the NLD in the process and the ban against anti-junta sentiments inside the constitutional convention only mean that amendments in the Burmese constitution favor the retention of the influence and undemocratic political control in the hands of the military junta. In the Philippines, the proposed shift to a parliamentary form of government put forward by pro-administration politicians amidst unresolved questions on the legitimacy of the current government would only increase the powers of traditional elite, particularly the ruling regime, and would most likely restore the authoritarian powers of the government that the Filipino rejected through a peaceful People Power Revolution in 1986. Constitutional change in Burma and in the Philippines must result in the deepening of democratic space, and not its restriction.

IUSY stands by in solidarity with the progressive movements and socialist and social democratic political parties in the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world to promote equality, democracy, fundamental freedoms and human rights. We will be vigilant in monitoring the developments in Nepal, Burma, the Philippines, and in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region, to ensure that democracy is re-established and deepened in these countries

Catégories : IUSY Asie Nepal Burma Philippines