Indonesian
president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened the fourth Bali Democracy Forum on
Thursday by announcing that the winds of democracy were sweeping through many
parts of the world.
Yudhoyono gave particular praise for the rapid
progress seen in North Africa including in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt and in the
Middle East, where several states are transforming into fully fledged
democracies.
He also said the ongoing situation in Myanmar
was encouraging after the junta had shown greater flexibility toward democratic
elements in the impoverished country.
“Perhaps the most significant development has
been seen in North Africa and the Middle East — what is now known as the Arab
Spring — which has produced rapid political changes that none of us expected,”
the President said at the two-day meeting.
Citing Indonesia’s own experience after the
forced resignation of Soeharto to end his dictatorship in 1998, Yudhoyono
warned that transformation processes could be very painful.
According to Yudhoyono, every democratic
nation, especially those in the process of transition, should remain vigilant
as conflicts could emerge at any time.
“We remain vigilant as Indonesia is not
totally free from the prospects of new communal conflicts flaring up.
“And this is a problem that is also faced by
other nations that are undergoing democratic transition,” Yudhoyono said.
Meanwhile, the forum’s co-chairwoman and
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the current BDF theme was
most appropriate at a time when an increasing portion of the world’s population
were demanding democracy as their preferred form of government.
“It is also important to keep thinking of
better ways to keep the already democratic governments truly representative of
their people’s wishes,” she said.
This year, the BDF is attended by eight state
leaders, including Brunei Darussalam’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Sri Lankan
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and
Qatari PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani. Other delegations from
the Middle East, including from Bahrain, attracted special attention from other
participants.
Qatar’s prime minister said his country had
been siding with the Arab people’s demands for reform since the very beginning,
when the first signs of the Arab revolutions had shown a positive inclination
toward democratization.
“Qatar could not stand aloof watching these
people being brutally repressed, therefore Qatar took the initiative and
provided political and moral support to the people of Tunisia and Egypt,” he
said.
In addition, Qatar was also the first Arab
country and second country in the world to recognize the transitional council
in Libya as being the legitimate representative of the Libyan people, he said.
“We are here to express our deep sorrow for
the suffering experienced by the Yemeni people in the cause of achieving their
hopes and aspirations,” Sheikh Hamad said.
He also condemned the repression and killing
of Syrians who had committed no crimes other than demanding reform.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa
said the steady increase in the number of participating countries was a sign
that the forum had been widely acknowledged in the region thanks to its
non-judgmental characteristics.
“The forum has grown increasingly substantive
in promoting dialogue and cooperation on political development and the
promotion of democracy in the region,” he said.
In line with this year’s theme, “Enhancing
Democratic Participation in a Changing World: Responding to Democratic Voices”,
the forum would identify and further elaborate on two things: the ability of
states to positively respond to the voice of democracy, and the way to ensure
democratic space for broad participation in public policy decision-making
processes, Marty said.
The first and second BDFs recognised the
importance of building a robust democratic community and the indivisible
relationship between democracy and economic development. And in the third
forum, all states were encouraged to ensure the attainment of democratic
dividends through the establishment of peace, stability and equitable prosperity.
“Broader people participation is essential to respond to current global
challenges, where waves of democratisation have swept many parts of the world,”
he said.
Novia D. Rulistia
The Jakarta Post
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