{"id":978,"date":"2008-04-10T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-04-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/queme.org\/en\/world-movement-for-democracy-holds-fifth-assembly-in-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2016-09-09T13:47:25","modified_gmt":"2016-09-09T13:47:25","slug":"world-movement-for-democracy-holds-fifth-assembly-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/world-movement-for-democracy-holds-fifth-assembly-in-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"World Movement for Democracy holds Fifth Assembly in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

KYIV (UKRAINE), 10 April 2008 (VIETNAM COMMITTEE) – From 6-9 April 2008, 531 democracy activists, practitioners and scholars from 112 countries gathered in Kyiv, Ukraine, for the Fifth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy<\/strong> (WMD) under the theme \u201cMaking Democracy Work: From Principles to Performance\u201d<\/em>. Founded in 1999, the WMD held its first assembly in New Delhi, India, then Sao Paolo (Brazil, 2002), Durban (South Africa, 2004) and Istanbul (2006). The Assembly was opened by Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko. Key-note speakers were Peru\u2019s former President Alejandro Toledo and Ukraine\u2019s First Lady, Kateryna Yuschenko.<\/p>\n

The Assembly was held in Kyiv to mark the 2004 \u201cOrange Revolution\u201d and the democratic breakthrough in Ukraine. Describing Ukraine as a \u201c16 year-old country with a 7,000 year-old history\u201d<\/em> of endless struggles for independence, Kateryna Yushchenko said the \u201cOrange Revolution\u201d had brought a new wind of hope and \u201cnot overnight change, but the opportunity to make change. Ukraine gained its independence in 1991, but the Ukrainian people gained their freedom in 2004\u201d<\/em>, she said. This year also marks the 75th Anniversary of the Holodomor, or Great Ukrainian Famine, when Stalin starved and slaughtered 10 million Ukrainians to subject Ukraine to the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n

In 45 workshops, participants from in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas examined global and regional challenges to the development of democracy, and the need to deliver on promises of democratic transitions. \u201cWhether it is the need to strengthen institutions, fight corruption, or reduce poverty and social equality, democracy must be made sustainable through performance\u201d<\/em>, said the WMD\u2019s Assembly Statement, recalling its founding principles \u201cto strengthen democracy where it is weak, to reform and invigorate democracy even where it is longstanding, and to bolster prodemocracy groups in countries that have not yet entered into a process of democratic transition\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Vo Van Ai<\/strong>, President of Qu\u00ea Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam<\/strong> and Interntional spokesman of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) represented democracy movements in Vietnam. Speaking on \u201cThe role of religions in the movement for democracy\u201d<\/strong><\/em> and \u201cBuilding Democracy Networks under Authoritarianism\u201d<\/strong><\/em>, he emphasised the role of Buddhism in the Asian democracy movement, with the \u201csaffron revolution\u201d of Buddhist monks in Burma and Tibet, and the struggle of the UBCV monks, nuns and followers in Vietnam. Buddhist monks in these authoritarian states have a moral authority that is denied their governments, he said, and they are close to the ordinary people. In Asia, democracy remains an \u201celitist\u201d idea which is not yet rooted in ordinary people\u2019s psyche. \u201cBuddhism could serve as an intermediary between the \u201celite\u201d and the ordinary people, a vehicle to relay democratic ideas and translate them into something meaningful, a new hope to which people can relate\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Vo Van Ai observed that totalitarian governments such as China and Vietnam, whilst fundamentally hostile to religions, had realized the potential and \u201cutility value\u201d of Buddhism, and were seeking to harness it to serve State interests. Hence China\u2019s organization of the very first World Forum on Buddhism in Beijing in 2006 and the upcoming celebrations of United Nations International Vesak Day in May 2008 in Vietnam. \u201cThese high-profile religious events help Beijing and Hanoi to kill two birds with one stone \u2013 to reinforce controls on religion and enhance their international image by \u201cproving\u201d there is religious freedom in China and Vietnam\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

At the same time, \u201cthese dictatorships fear powers that they cannot control\u201d<\/em>, whence the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations in Burma and Tibet. Vietnam used the same violence to crush peaceful demonstrations of 40,000 Buddhist monks and civilians in Hue in May 1993 \u2013 the largest ever public protest in Communist Vietnam – and was continuing repression against the outlawed UBCV. Hanoi justified repression by claiming that the UBCV and its leaders Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do are \u201cpolitical\u201d<\/strong><\/em>. This is false, said Vo Van Ai. By engaging for religious freedom and human rights, Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do are simply making a positive interpretation of Buddhist teachings following Vietnam\u2019s 2,000 year-old tradition of Mayahana Buddhism, instead of passively abstaining, as some other Buddhist schools. He took the example of the Five Precepts that all Buddhists must observe. \u201cAll Buddhists promise not to kill<\/strong>. But when Vietnam arbitrary puts its citizens to death, UBCV Buddhists rise up against state repression. All Buddhist undertake not to steal<\/strong>, but when the state steals the people\u2019s lands, their freedom, their identity, UBCV Buddhists stand up to defend their rights. Buddhists refrain from sexual misconduct<\/strong>, but when corrupt policemen and Communist Party officials organize trafficking of young girls for sexual exploitation, subjecting them to worse treatment than animals, UBCV Buddhists forcefully combat these abuses. All Buddhists promise not to lie<\/strong>, but when Hanoi stifles free speech, muzzles the media, and imprisons journalists who speak the truth, Buddhists engage in the battle for freedom of expression and the press\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Buddhism is a fast-growing religion, with 100 million Buddhists in China, 60 million in Vietnam, with large communities in Japan, Taiwan, Laos and Cambodia, or Thailand, with its 90% Buddhist population. India, which had only 8 million Buddhists in 2001, has 35 million today.<\/p>\n

A highlight of World Movement of Democracy\u2019s Fifth Assembly was the launching of a report on \u201cDefending Civil Society\u201d<\/strong>. Co-authored by the WMD and the International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law, the report is endorsed by an Eminent Persons Group including H.H. the Dalai Lama, former Czech President Vaclav Havel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former presidents and Prime Ministers Kim Cambell (Canada), Anwar Ibrahim (Malaysia), F.H. Cardoso (Brazil) and Egyptian activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim. Hundreds of NGOs took part in its preparation, with workshops in Casablanca, Lima, Kyiv, Bangkok and Johanessburg. Qu\u00ea Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam contributed to the sections on Vietnam.<\/p>\n

The report responds to the serious threats faced by civil society and the \u201cbacklash\u201d against democratic activism in many countries, where governments use not only repression but more sophisticated methods, such as legal or quasi-legal barriers to resources, activities and communications. The report articulates international principles, norms and covenants defending civil society, and makes recommendations to governments on their implementation.<\/p>\n

Vietnam is singled out for its barriers to operational activity<\/strong>, with Decree 88 on Associations which \u201cprovides for strict governmental control at all levels\u201d<\/em> and effectively transforms associations into \u201cagencies of government ministries\u201d<\/em>. Barriers to communication<\/strong> include Vietnam\u2019s Decision 71 (2004) which strictly restricts the use of the Internet, and Decree 56\/2006, which imposes exorbitant fines for circulating \u201charmful\u201d material by Internet or other means. Criminalization of dissent<\/strong>, under the \u201cnational security provisions\u201d in Vietnam\u2019s Criminal Code such as Article 80 (\u201cspying\u201d) or Article 88 (\u201cconducting propaganda\u201d). The Law on Publications strictly prohibits the dissemination of books or articles that \u201cdisseminate reactionary ideas and culture\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Fifth Assembly concluded with the award of the \u201cDemocracy Courage Tribute\u201d<\/strong> to the Lawyers of Pakistan, the Buddhist monks of Burma, and the Journalists of Somalia. At the WMD\u2019s Fourth Assembly in 2006, Vietnamese dissidents Thich Quang Do and Hoang Minh Chinh were honoured with this award.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KYIV (UKRAINE), 10 April 2008 (VIETNAM COMMITTEE) – From 6-9 April 2008, 531 democracy activists, practitioners and scholars from 112 countries gathered in Kyiv, Ukraine, for the Fifth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy (WMD) under the theme \u201cMaking Democracy Work: From Principles to Performance\u201d. Founded in 1999, the WMD held its first assembly …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","","category-vchr"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/375"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/978\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}