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International Forum >> The Democracy Forum for East Asia>> "The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Democracy in East Asia"
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Introduction
Session I: The Institutional Environment for Civil Society Session II: Internal Governance Session III: Enhancing Policy Advocacy and Effectiveness Session IV: The Role of NGOs in Strengthening Democracy Agenda Participants |
Introduction
The working conference on "The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Democracy in East Asia," held in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 27-28, 2000, was the fourth meeting sponsored by the Democracy Forum for East Asia, a collaborative program of the Sejong Institute and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). This working conference was also cosponsored by the Asia Foundation and by King Prajadhipok's Institute in Thailand, which served as local host. The Democracy Forum was established following an agreement by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and U.S. President Bill Clinton in November 1998 to promote joint nongovernmental efforts to further democracy and market economics in East Asia. The inaugural conference was held in July 1999 in Seoul. This working conference, the third of three planned for 1999-2000, focused on the key role that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play in democratic countries by providing social services, monitoring the actions of business and government, and developing specific public policy reforms. Conference participants consisted of NGO leaders, national and local government officials, and other experts on civil society and democracy. Participants came from ten Asian countries-Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand-as well as from Australia, Mexico, the Slovak Republic, and the United States. Dr. Borwornsak Uwanno, secretary-general of the King Prajadhipok's Institute (KPI), welcomed participants and briefly described KPI's work in helping to develop Thailand's Civil Society Network, which promotes greater NGO participation in political decision making. He then introduced Senator Boonton Dockthaisong, deputy speaker of the Thai Senate, who delivered the opening address. "The relationship between the Thai state and civil society groups is not always an easy one," the senator said. The government often sees NGOs as ill-informed adversaries and considers consulting with them on policy matters "an obstacle to state plans." For their part, civil society groups need to learn how to use the right to assemble and articulate their demands through the free press before resorting to acts of civil disobedience. "Both civil society and the state must remember that making group decisions often requires compromise. Without a willingness to compromise in reasonable ways, conflict is inevitable," he said. In Thailand, the Senate often acts as a bridge between civil society and the state, Senator Boonton continued. Senators are elected directly in Thailand's provinces and may not have ties to political parties. Many senators have affiliations with civil society groups, which insures that NGO concerns are articulated in Senate deliberations. As citizens "gain experience with their rights and freedoms under the 1997 Constitution," civil society will play an even greater role in supporting democracy in Thailand, the senator concluded. Representatives of the other three cosponsoring organizations-James Klein of the Asia Foundation, Jong Wan Kim of the Sejong Institute, and Larry Diamond of the National Endowment for Democracy-also welcomed participants and suggested important themes for deliberation. The heart of the working conference was a series of four roundtable sessions, each of which began with brief remarks by designated presenters followed by open discussions. |
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