Asia Program Highlights (2005)

With the important exception of Indonesia, there were few positive democratic developments in Asia in 2005. Moreover, the region was once again plagued by political violence, including terrorist bombings in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and India; political assassinations in Sri Lanka; a growing Maoist threat and heavy-handed government response in Nepal; and simmering regional struggles in Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand. The resulting hostility and bloodshed added even more layers of instability to already volatile situations.

In China, where rural unrest was marked by over 87,000 large-scale protests in 2005, the government response to concerns about social instability took a two-pronged approach, including both announcements of good-governance reforms and a wide range of repressive measures intended to constrain the ability of aggrieved citizens and government critics to speak out or organize to press for resolution of their concerns. The situation in Burma remained dire, prompting a new push led by former Czech President Vaclav Havel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu to call for UN Security Council engagement to address the threat that Burma poses to regional peace.

In 2005, the Endowment concentrated its resources in four key countries: China, including Tibet and Hong Kong; North Korea; Burma; and Pakistan. NED also expanded its regional programming in the areas of domestic election monitoring, press freedom, worker rights, and women's political participation.

In China, the government simultaneously acknowledged the desirability of democracy while reconfirming its intentions to preserve one-party rule. In an October white paper titled "Building Political Democracy in China," the government argued that the Communist Party constituted the only legitimate representative of the people, and therefore would author the country's political future. Over the course of the year, democracy and human rights activists grappled with tightened restrictions on nearly every avenue of independent expression, including the Internet, text-messaging, NGO registration and activities, print and broadcast media, academic research, and religious observance. NED grantees devoted to freedom of expression, such as Human Rights in China, the Independent Chinese PEN Center, and the China Information Center, campaigned for the release of prominent "cyber-dissidents" and worked to engineer ways around the information blockades imposed by China's reputed 40,000 "Internet police." Despite these new constraints on their work, grantees tackled a wide range of important issues in China, including religious freedom, accountability for illegal rural and urban land seizures by corrupt local officials, and hazardous working conditions. Meanwhile, NED also supported the core institutes' engagement in reform efforts affecting many areas of governance, from CIPE's support for private-sector voices on economic reform to IRI's support for local government accountability programs.

In Tibet, the Endowment's program focused on the expansion and strengthening of civil society in the Tibetan community in exile, including independent print and electronic media, and human rights documentation and advocacy. The Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet, an association of former political prisoners, documented the situation of political prisoners and provided support for those still in detention as well as former political prisoners in exile.

NED grantees continued to shine a spotlight on North Korea's egregious record of human rights abuses. And in an effort to learn how best to help North Koreans make the transition from subjects of a totalitarian state to citizens of a democratic society, the Citizens' Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea expanded an innovative program to help young North Koreans cultivate a sense of citizenship and develop the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary for participation in an open, modern society.

In Indonesia, the first directly elected president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, faced an array of challenges that tested his political skills and resolve, including rising fuel prices and new terrorist attacks in Bali. Yet in Aceh, the Indonesian province hit hardest by the devastating December 2004 tsunami, the government and Acehnese rebels ended a long-running civil conflict by signing a peace agreement in August. The Endowment's Indonesia program focused on supporting the post-tsunami reconstruction of a community radio network in Aceh, encouraging worker rights and freedom of association, and promoting the development of trade unions and business associations.

In Burma, Senior General Than Shwe consolidated his power and began to rebuild the regime's intelligence apparatus after the purge of intelligence chief General Khin Nyunt in October 2004. Nearly all forms of independent political activity remained forbidden, and the regime continued to punish heavily anyone who challenged its authority, including eight Shan political leaders who received long prison terms following secret trials. Burma also faced increased international pressure for reform, including from a group of parliamentarians from Southeast Asian countries led by the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus. As a result of strong international and regional pressure, Burma relinquished its turn to chair ASEAN in 2006.

This past year, the Endowment's Burma program continued to provide support to struggling democracy activists, print and electronic media, a growing and vibrant women's rights movement, and civil society development in ethnic-nationality areas. NED also provided start-up support for Burma's only independent Burmese-language TV station, the Democratic Voice of Burma. Broadcast via satellite, the weekly television program has the potential to reach a large audience throughout the country. The Endowment also continued to support a range of initiatives to increase cooperation and understanding between ethnic nationality groups and prodemocracy organizations.

Elsewhere in mainland Southeast Asia, Endowment-funded programs supported critical human rights work in Cambodia, including heightened citizen awareness of the anticipated Khmer Rouge trials. In Malaysia, the Endowment expanded its work in the areas of human rights, political participation, political party development, and independent media. NED also continued to support a Southeast Asia regional initiative promoting the development of professional, independent media in the region.

In South Asia, Pakistan remained the regional priority. The Endowment funded projects to increase public participation in political processes at the local level, support the professional development of female journalists, and educate citizens about their rights in a democracy. NED also funded a country-wide human rights and democracy education program, as well as an innovative human rights project that uses interactive theater to encourage greater respect for human rights at the grassroots level. CIPE began a project to promote the participation of the business sector in the economic reform process and the development of democratic institutions. The Endowment also maintained small grants projects in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Region-wide programs provided solidarity and training in the areas of labor standards, the investigative capacity of national human rights institutions, domestic election-monitoring, and women in political leadership. * Indicates Department of State Funding Beyond NED's Annual Appropriation