In the 21st century, democratic development in Southeast Asia has been slow. Despite progress in some cases, most countries in the region are still stuck in strong authoritarian patterns. In fact, many Southeast Asian countries are not ideal democracies, with problems of corruption, elite rule, poverty, and human rights violations. These are hurdles that underscore the complexity of democracy in the region.
Nevertheless, the people of the region have embraced three crucial dimensions of democracy, laying a solid foundation for vibrant freedoms, growing economic prosperity, and nagging questions about the future of democracy in Southeast Asia.
Unfortunately, the democratization process in ASEAN is often controlled by elites who are transitioning to new forms of politics, but the result is still democratic institutions controlled by wealthy oligarchs. Although some countries have made progress in their democratization journey, global trends show a decline in the level of democracy.
Even in 1989, the current level of democracy is lower, with authoritarian regimes controlling 70% of the world's population. Russia's invasion of Ukraine can be seen as the culmination of this trend. In fact, Russia's invasion of Ukraine can be seen as a surprising culmination of this trend.
Southeast Asia's diversity can be reflected in its political diversity, with differences in regime types, levels of economic development, state capabilities, and historical legacies. A report, V-DEM Democracy 2022, has classified countries into democratic and authoritarian categories. With the exception of Indonesia, Southeast Asian countries are in the low category of the V-DEM Democracy Index, indicating a decline in liberal democracy. In 2021, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines experienced authoritarianism, Malaysia democratized slightly, while the rest of the countries experienced little change except for Myanmar, which experienced a bloody coup.
One of the bitter reasons is media freedom and restrictions on journalistic independence in some regions. As digital media and social networks have become more important, governments have stepped up their efforts to exert power and influence in cyberspace. In various situations, political interference in the media, including direct media ownership by politicians or political parties, can undermine the independence of the press and erode public confidence in trustworthy journalism.
Indeed, the main culprit is the rapid and uncontrolled spread of information. Today's society is in an era of unfettered information flow, but unfortunately it is often characterized by the spread of false information rather than an emphasis on actual facts.
On the other hand, there is also a correlation between economic growth and democracy that needs to be considered. While Indonesia's democracy index is not low, the case of Indonesia provides an interesting reflection of how resource management can be challenging within a democratic framework, where inequality in economic growth has the potential to undermine the foundations of a democratic society. In the midst of this, a crucial debate arises: how to strike the right balance between economic progress and equity, so that every citizen benefits from the progress achieved.
While democracy can provide a platform for popular participation and the protection of human rights, the ultimate challenge is to measure the concrete impact of democratization on sustainable economic growth.
In this complex environment, the issues surrounding democratic transition, the strengthening of democratic values, and the possibility of democratic stagnation or even regression in the region appear to be strongly linked to contingent factors unique to each country. As a result, there is no single approach to securing democracy that can be applied universally, just as there is no standard path to its decline.
Reference:
- Wanandi, Jusuf. “Ensuring Sustainability of Democracy in Southeast Asia.” The Jakarta Post, www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2023/08/09/ensuring-sustainability-of-democracy-in-southeast-asia.html.
- Southeast Asian democracy: Regression or autocracy? | FIIA. (2022, June 14). FIIA – Finnish Institute of International Affairs. https://www.fiia.fi/julkaisu/southeast-asian-democracy?read.
