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events take
place in Singapore and, more important, that they would like to
stay involved in any kind of initiative that would work towards
promoting democracy in Singapore.
“Two
petitions were put up for signatures: one calling for the
release of Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters, and the other
calling on the Singapore government to ratify the ICCPR adopted
by the UN. I had subsequently made an application for the
conference to gather outside the Burmese embassy in Singapore.
Alarm bells immediately went off and the Singapore Foreign
Ministry worked overtime that weekend, calling on the various
embassies to warn their respective delegates that they would be
arrested if they showed up at the embassy. Following discussions
with the delegates, it was decided that the petitions would be
mailed instead.
“Another
positive outcome was the formation of the Sweden-Singapore
Initiative for Democracy which will continue to organize
projects such as training workshops, exchange programs,
conferences, etc. in Singapore. The areas of focus are:
elections, media, civil society, youth program, human rights,
and labour.”
The
delegates from CALD included Hon. Sirichok Sopha MP from the
Democrat Party of Thailand, Mr. Paolo “Taikee” Calleja Esq. from
the Liberal Party of the Philippines, Mr. Vincent Su from
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwan, Mr. Tong Kim
Chuang from Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Mr. Rocky Htoe Thein
from National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) and Dr. Chee
Soon Juan from SDP.
Mr. Paolo
Zamora also presented information on the Young Liberals and
Democrats of Asia or YLDA which was established during the
CALD First
Young Leaders Workshop 2002. The Asian delegates felt
that whilst they wanted to see more activities organized for the
youth at the regional level, they were hesitant in starting up
another group. Instead, they felt that it made more
sense widening the networking of existing organizations such as
YLDA. The Young Leaders' Workshop seemed especially attractive
in this sense. CALD plans to have a 2nd Young Leaders Workshop
during the last quarter of 2003 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Message of M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, MP (CALD Chairman)
In behalf of
the Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats, I would like to
extend my warm greetings to the delegates of the International
Youth Conference for Democracy.
CALD, the
only umbrella of political parties in Asia, believes that it is
only through the participation of key sectors of society can we
realize our collective goals of peace, justice, democracy and
development. And the youth sector is not only the biggest but it
is also the most dynamic.
We who are
part of political parties are only too aware of the key roles
and strategic relevance played by youth wings. Youth wings
become training grounds for future political leaders. Two, they
help young people like themselves get involved in democratic
exercises such as voting in elections and poll watching. Three,
they contribute significantly to the renewal and reinvigoration
of political parties.
Young people
now even face greater responsibilities with the challenges of
globalization, terrorism and the widening wedges between the
rich and the poor among and within nations. This conference
would then serve as a forum where young people can discuss
amongst themselves solutions to the most pressing problems of
their communities, their countries and the international
community of nations.
As we have
seen in democratic transitions in countries such as the
Philippines, Korea and Indonesia, youth power was instrumental
in bringing about change and reform. And even in societies where
democratic institutions and processes have been firmly put in
place, we need youth power to sustain these gains and further
bring about progress in all aspects of our national lives.
My
congratulations to the organizers of the conference and our
sincere welcome to all the participants. |
