WINTER 2006 Observer To promote democracy Anwar Ibrahim: in the Middle East, Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister of Freedom and Human Malaysia, suggested the United States point to Indonesia and Turkey as Rights Are Universal, examples of Muslim democracies. “It’s a major beginning,” he said. “You can promote this to the Not Just Arab world, not the American experience but the Indonesian experience, the Turkish experience. This is better because this is homegrown.” Western But democracy is more than “just having free and fair elections,” Anwar said at a public program in Honolulu on February 23. Indonesia, in the midst of a Concepts democratic transition, has had to recover from “three decades of dictatorial rule.” As a result, he said it must Anwar Ibrahim create a democratic framework of “separation of powers; Inside credible, well qualified, well trained judges and currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University lawyers; a free media — and free and fair elections.” and distinguished visiting senior fellow at Johns Hopkins Musharraf: Anwar spoke on “Human Rights and Politics: An University. He was in Honolulu as a distinguished Time Ripe for Peace Asian Perspective” at a program co-sponsored by the visiting scholar at the University of Hawai‘i. in Kashmir Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, the East-West Center, In 1998, Anwar was removed from his posts as Page 3 the University of Hawai‘i Center for Southeast Asian deputy prime minister and finance minister and Studies and the Friends of the East-West Center. He is continued on page 2 EWC Relief Efforts One Year After the Tsunami Page 4 Key Issues Facing a Relatively Stable Asia in 2006 Rethinking Development: ‘Gross National East-West Center President Charles E. Morrison “What seems to be going on is a growing Happiness’ vs. predicts another year of growth and relative stability nationalism in both countries, a kind of embedding of Gross National Product for the Asia Pacific region in 2006, amid rapid economic negative attitudes,” Morrison said, that he described as Page 5 and demographic changes. He addressed key political, “deeper, more dangerous forces of nationalism and Eeconomic and security issues in the region at an international competition.” Revaluation of AsiaPacific Breakfast Briefing, sponsored by Bank of “Sustained and growing tensions can have China’s Currency Hawai‘i, in mid-February. seriously negative implications for U.S. interests by Could Hurt U.S. While generally optimistic, Morrison noted North complicating regional endeavors, such as addressing in Pocketbook Korea, trans-Pacific financial and trade imbalances, and a the critical North Korean nuclear issue and the trans- Page 7 pandemic remain potential problems. To this list, he Pacific trade and financial imbalances,” he cautioned. added “the downward spiral in Sino-Japanese relations,” “They also make the rationalization of U.S. forward exacerbated by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s military forces appear more threatening to China.” visits to the Yasukuni shrine, the language in recently Morrison said that he had anticipated multilateral published Japanese textbooks and the realignment of organizations like APEC would be useful to resolve U.S.-Japan military arrangements. continued on page 2 2 Anwar Ibrahim continued from page 1 in Asia is something we need to observe and imprisoned for political reasons. In 2004, after six appreciate.” years of solitary confinement, he was acquitted of all Anwar also advocated engagement to minimize charges by the Malaysian Federal Court. After six years conflict and differences, but said that should not in jail, Anwar said he emerged feeling “stronger and negate the push for human rights and freedom. more passionate about freedom and human rights.” “I am for engagement, for trade,” he said, with The East-West He emphasized his belief that freedom and human reference to China, “but we should not … ignore that Center Observer rights are universal — not purely American or western freedom and human rights remain paramount.” is a quarterly newsletter concepts. “Just because you have good relations with published by the In the media, he said, viewers see “so much rage countries” like China, he said, “you should not East-West Center, against Americans and the West, but speak to individuals preclude the discussion or articulation of issues of a public non-profit in the Middle East and you sense there is a difference human rights and freedom, because to do so you are institution established in their position on American foreign policy and condemning the majority of the population who have in 1960 to foster mutual American Jeffersonian ideals or the spirit of the been denied basic freedoms.” understanding and American Constitution.” He encouraged the audience, which included cooperation among He also said that to understand Muslim society scholars, diplomats and business and community the governments and is to understand that it is not monolithic. “To look at leaders, “to make Hawai‘i an important intellectual peoples of the Asia Pacific the (Muslim) experience in Asia, you cannot under- base” that can play a critical role in forging mutual region, including the stand and appreciate the changes (in the region) from understanding between the nations of Asia and the United States. the prism of the Arab world,” he said. “The experience Pacific and the United States. Volume 10, Number 1 Winter 2006 Charles E. Morrison, President Key Issues Facing a Relatively Stable Asia in 2006 Karen Knudsen, Director Office of External Affairs continued from page 1 While terrorism in issues between nations, providing a setting for leaders Asia has not been of the For information, contact: to put differences aside. Instead, the Chinese have magnitude in the Middle The East-West Center used APEC in a negative way, refusing to meet with East and is usually locally 1601 East-West Road their Japanese counterparts, “sharpening differences,” driven, ideology and Honolulu, HI 96848-1601 he said. techniques have been Telephone: 808-944-7111 “Outright tensions of this sort create real problems imported, he said. This Fax: 808-944-7376 that put the United States in a very difficult position continues to be a concern of having to choose between two countries that are in the Philippines, Email: very important to our interests,” he said. “So far, the Indonesia and Thailand, [email protected] United States has neither fully focused on the implica- where terrorism is generally Website: tions for us of Sino-Japanese tensions nor begun to tied to internal conflict. www.EastWestCenter.org develop a behind-the-scenes approach to try to “Most of these conflicts Editor: Susan Yim dampen them.” Charles Morrison will have to be resolved by Design: Kennedy & Preiss Morrison also discussed the critical importance of Asians,” he said, “but this a continued international effort to denuclearize the can be done with help and with cooperation from Korean peninsula. One of the “tremendous risks” of outside Asia. That is exactly what we at the East-West the North Korean nuclear program is the chance that Center try to do. We try to bring the best minds of North Korean fissile material could be transferred or East and West together to deal with these pressing fall into the hands of terrorists, he said. problems of the region.” If North Korea were tied to a nuclear terrorist attack or use of a “dirty bomb” on an American city, it would trigger a political and international crisis “of unbelievable consequences,” he warned. 3 Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf told “terrorism” and “extremism.” Terrorism can be fought a group of international journalists that it was time to with military force, “extremism is a state of mind” that Musharraf: resolve the dispute over Kashmir. “The people of requires a different strategy, he said. Pakistan, India and Kashmir want peace,” he said. “I Asked about U.S. missile strikes in January on a Pfeel Kashmir is ripe for resolution. The earthquake Pakistani border village in the tribal region near the Time Ripe brought us closer together.” Afghanistan border, Musharraf said the attack was “a In mid-February, Musharaff met with Asian and violation of the sovereignty of Pakistan.” for Peace American journalists who traveled to Pakistan and India He expressed regret that 13 civilians were killed in as participants in the Winter 2006 EWC Jefferson the attack aimed at Al-Qaida’s No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri Fellowships Program. They met for an hour at the but said that the residents of the village were “guilty of in Kashmir Pakistani military leader’s headquarters in Rawalpindi harboring people who are carrying out terrorism in near the capital of Islamabad. Pakistan and outside in the world.” Musharaff said that Pakistan filed a diplomatic protest with Washington resolving the conflict was a over the incident and Musharraf said he was satisfied bilateral issue between with President Bush’s response. “Cooperation will Pakistan and India, but that continue as before,” he said. “I was satisfied with U.S. he sees the United States as a assurances” that this will not happen again. facilitator “coaxing both sides” Regarding demonstrations and controversy over toward resolution. Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, the He also reaffirmed his president said he could not understand how anyone alliance with the United States could “take the excuse of freedom of the press to hurt in the war on terrorism. He the feelings of such a large population of the world. told the journalists that there This is stretching freedom of the press to the limits.” was a difference between Winter 2006 EWC Jefferson Fellows with Pakistan President General Pervez Asian, U.S. Journalists Terence Chea, Reporter, Associated Musharraf at his Press, San Francisco, California: headquarters in Travel to Pakistan, India “The study tour opened my eyes to the Rawalpindi.