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Burma's democratic opposition faces trying times |
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by Mizzima News
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Friday, 24 October 2008 16:11 |
Accelerated by the current global financial crisis and with potentially grave repercussions for Burma's democratic opposition, the world may be witnessing a relative weakening in liberal-democratic values as political power shifts from North America and Europe to Asia, speculates one Burmese expert.
Writing for the forthcoming November edition of The World Today, Ashley South suggests that the post-Cold War surge behind a Western doctrine of universal human rights and justice, already threatened, could be in terminal decline as the impact of the global financial crisis continues to take its toll.
What this means in the end, argues South, "is not to deny the legitimacy of liberal-democratic values, but to recognise their historical contingency, and therefore limited universal applicability, and declining political capital."
For Burma, in particular, such realignment in the international theater could have a drastic impact on the options available to Burma's democratic opposition, not to mention chances for success.
"Shifts in the global balance of power have reduced the power and willingness of western actors to promote values of liberalism and democracy, and to intervene in conflict-affected countries, such as Burma," warns South.
"Opposition networks in countries such as Zimbabwe and Burma are likely to have to rely less on the patronage of western supporters. These movements include many who struggle – often with great heroism – for democracy and justice," continues the long-time Burma hand.
As humanitarian and political intervention grounded in a rights-based theory is increasingly put to the test, Asian countries, typically not drawn to rights-based approaches, will see their position strengthened.
Elaborating on the theme, South continues, "any decline in the west, and associated weakening of the liberal-democratic view, will present challenges to pro-democracy groups in conflict-affected and other developing countries."
The weakening of liberal-democratic values in the realm of foreign policy is said to have been on clear display in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma in the first week of May this year, causing cataclysmic destruction.
Spreading further doubt as to whether the nascent doctrine of a Right to Protect could ever be effectively implemented, the international community and the concept of humanitarian intervention are said to have appeared "powerless" in the wake of the natural disaster; a perception epitomized by the warships from the United States, Britain and France sent to the coast of Burma, only to subsequently be withdrawn without having any discernable impact on the decision making of Burma's generals.
"The response to Cyclone Nargis," South conjectures, "might therefore be said to herald a new era of regionalised 'humanitarianism with Asian values.'" And such values will undoubtedly reflect those of the much more authoritarian governments of the region.
According to Freedom House, only two countries in all of mainland Asia can be said to be entirely "free", Mongolia and South Korea.
Ultimately, the author encourages Burma's democratic opposition forces to "realistically assess their positions, and re-orientate their strategies towards morelocalised, or at least regional, centres of power and legitimacy."
And one of the first issues that demands thorough assessment in lieu of shifting international power paradigms is said to be the question of how to approach the Burmese junta's proposed 2010 general election.
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