Call for more resilient democracy in Asean region

KUALA LUMPUR: Asean member countries should heed the call for a more resilient democracy, said former Asean secretary- general Tan Sri Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

“Even where there are regular elections, there are concerns that democracy is being hollowed out by elections without integrity, loss of independence of the civil service, courts and the media.

“There is widespread corruption, including in elections, and the rise of populist identity politics and unregulated social media spawning,” said Surin in his closing remarks at the “Regional Conference on Democracy in Southeast Asia: Achievements, Challenges, Prospects,” here, yesterday.

Stating that the middle class in the region was not systematically pro- democracy, the former Thai foreign minister said democracy was in fact backsliding in the region. Thus, he said, the middle class should be exposed to government policy making to understand the substance in democracy.

On another note, he said there was a need for people in the region to foster more innovative thinking, secure higher education and greater freedom, including for women and minorities, to secure the next phase of the region’s development, .

“To do this, democracy and human rights will have to be reinforced, not dismissed or underrated,” he added.

The two- day regional conference, which ended today, was jointly organised by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia ( Suhakam) and the Kofi Annan Foundation for the participants to share experiences, compare challenges and exchange best practices with the aim of strengthening electoral integrity in the region.