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FREEDOM IS RISING
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AFTER A LULL, DEMOCRACY HAS RESUMED ITS MARCH
Since crash of Asia's economy , freedom is rising
It is the end of history all over again. The end of history was first
proclaimed in the miraculous year 1989 when the Soviet Union tossed away
its
empire and the Berlin Wall came crushing down.
A political scientist Francis Fukuyama likened the nations of the world
to
wagon trains during the California Gold Rush. They might travel
different
trails at different times , but they were all headed to the same
destination.
Fukuyama wrote at the culmination of a 15 year stretch during which
democracy had expanded further and faster than ever before. Beginning in
1974 in Portugal , where military rule was replaced by an elected
government
, democracy had spread to Greece and Spain , thence across Latin America
and
then on to Eastern Europe , the Philippines and the Soviet Union itself.
But in Asia , the advance of democracy met its first determined
resistance ,
and suddenly history seemed not quite to be over. Although gradual
democratization proceeded in Taiwan and South Korea , this was
overshadowed
by dramatic scenes in Tiananmen Square and the streets of Rangoon ,
where
democratic hopes were snuffed out with brutal force.
The dictators justified their repressive actions by announcing a
distinctive
" Asian approach " to human rights , spelled out at a UN regional
conference
in Bangkok in 1993.
Under the impact of these military and philosophical assaults , the
democratic momentum abated.
The organization freedom House reported that " as 1993 drew to a close ,
freedom around the world was in retreat ".
As it turned out, freedom did not retreat much; rather it stalled. Until
last month. Then , in a handful of Asian countries , one could hear the
engines of democracy beginning to rev again. In Indonesia , student
demonstrations swept Asia's longest-ruling autocrat from power. In Hong
Kong, despite a downpour; voters turned out in unforeseen numbers to
award
all 20 of the popularly chosen seats in the teritory's legislature to
pro-democracy parties defiant of Beijing. In Iran, 2000 students
organized
by the Islamic Students Association rallied in Tehran to demand more
democracy.
In Burma, several hundred members of the National League for Democracy ,
the
party that had trumped in the 1990 elections, convened to commemorate
that
vote, which the military had nullified.
In China, former Communist Party chief Zhao Ziyang has called on the
leadership to repudiate the Tiananmen Square repression." The trend of
democracy cannot be blocked" , he declared.
Today, it is the democrats who reinforce one another. The Indonesia
students
studied film of Tiananmen Square, and the Burmese democrats gathered to
celebrate the fall of Indonesia's Suharto.
The passage to democracy will not be easy, but it is hard to see how
these
rumblings can be suppressed now that the Asian " economic miracle" which
served as the rationale for so much authoritarian rule, has crashed to
earth.
DEMOCRACY HAS RESUMED ITS MARCH.
HISTORY HAS BEGUN TO END AGAIN.
By " Joshua Muravchik "
>From the Edmonton Journal, Monday , July 6 1998
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<HTML>
<B>AFTER A LULL, DEMOCRACY HAS RESUMED ITS MARCH</B>
<BR><B>Since crash of Asia's economy , freedom is rising</B><B></B>
<P>It is the end of history all over again. The end of history was first
<BR>proclaimed in the miraculous year 1989 when the Soviet Union tossed
away its
<BR>empire and the Berlin Wall came crushing down.
<P>A political scientist Francis Fukuyama likened the nations of the world
to
<BR>wagon trains during the California Gold Rush. They might travel different
<BR>trails at different times , but they were all headed to the same
<BR>destination.
<P>Fukuyama wrote at the culmination of a 15 year stretch during which
<BR>democracy had expanded further and faster than ever before. Beginning
in
<BR>1974 in Portugal , where military rule was replaced by an elected government
<BR>, democracy had spread to Greece and Spain , thence across Latin America
and
<BR>then on to Eastern Europe , the Philippines and the Soviet Union itself.
<P>But in Asia , the advance of democracy met its first determined resistance
,
<BR>and suddenly history seemed not quite to be over. Although gradual
<BR>democratization proceeded in Taiwan and South Korea , this was overshadowed
<BR>by dramatic scenes in Tiananmen Square and the streets of Rangoon ,
where
<BR>democratic hopes were snuffed out with brutal force.
<BR>The dictators justified their repressive actions by announcing a distinctive
<BR>" Asian approach " to human rights , spelled out at a UN regional conference
<BR>in Bangkok in 1993.
<P>Under the impact of these military and philosophical assaults , the
<BR>democratic momentum abated.
<BR>The organization freedom House reported that " as 1993 drew to a close
,
<BR>freedom around the world was in retreat ".
<P>As it turned out, freedom did not retreat much; rather it stalled. Until
<BR>last month. Then , in a handful of Asian countries , one could hear
the
<BR>engines of democracy beginning to rev again. In Indonesia , student
<BR>demonstrations swept Asia's longest-ruling autocrat from power. In
Hong
<BR>Kong, despite a downpour; voters turned out in unforeseen numbers to
award
<BR>all 20 of the popularly chosen seats in the teritory's legislature
to
<BR>pro-democracy parties defiant of Beijing. In Iran, 2000 students organized
<BR>by the Islamic Students Association rallied in Tehran to demand more
<BR>democracy.
<P><B>In Burma, several hundred members of the National League for Democracy
, the</B>
<BR><B>party that had trumped in the 1990 elections, convened to commemorate
that</B>
<BR><B>vote, which the military had nullified.</B><B></B>
<P>In China, former Communist Party chief Zhao Ziyang has called on the
<BR>leadership to repudiate the Tiananmen Square repression.<B>" The trend
of</B>
<BR><B>democracy cannot be blocked" , he declared.</B>
<P>Today, it is the democrats who reinforce one another. The Indonesia
students
<BR>studied film of Tiananmen Square, and the Burmese democrats gathered
to
<BR>celebrate the fall of Indonesia's Suharto.
<P><B>The passage to democracy will not be easy, but it is hard to see
how these</B>
<BR><B>rumblings can be suppressed now that the Asian " economic miracle"
which</B>
<BR><B>served as the rationale for so much authoritarian rule, has crashed
to</B>
<BR><B>earth.</B><B></B>
<P><B>DEMOCRACY HAS RESUMED ITS MARCH.</B>
<BR><B>HISTORY HAS BEGUN TO END AGAIN.</B><B></B>
<P>By " Joshua Muravchik "
<P>From the Edmonton Journal, Monday , July 6 1998
<BR>
<BR> </HTML>
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