On January 17, President Clinton will bid farewell to Winston Lord, his Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Mr. Lord's departure is viewed with regret in many Asian countries.
He is a seasoned Asia hand. His understanding and knowledge of Asia, and sensitivity towards things Asian, have helped iron out many misunderstandings with Asia in the last three years, both politically and economically.
But few in the United States are likely to appreciate his achievements because for most Americans and the media, Asia is little more than a backwater of poverty, corruption and oppression.
Two recent events vividly underline this persistent refusal to acknowledge the rapidly changing face of Asia. Both concerned Indonesia, a country with about 200 million people and made up of more than 3,000 islands. The first took place in summer when the country's capital, Jakarta, was rocked by riots. Hundreds of people protested against alleged government involvement in the ousting of Megawati Sukarnoputri as the elected leader of Indonesia's principal Opposition party, Parti Demokrasi Indonesia (PDI). (Megawati is acknowledged as the most likely rival to President Suharto in next year's presidential election.)
About 120 protesters, largely students, were arrested.
The United States' response was predictable. Trade was used, yet again, as a weapon to enforce the American way on an Asian country. The sale of nine F-16 fighter planes to Indonesia was shelved. The reasons were familiar. The July 27th upheavals in Jakarta demonstrated, said the United States, the country's reluctance to practice democracy and respect human rights.
Although the decision was overturned in September, America's knee-jerk reaction was typical of a policy that is rooted in a stubborn insistence on Asia adhering to Western standards of human rights and democracy, without regard for cultural differences and the tremendous economic growth achieved in many Asian countries.
But even when Asians play by American rules, they are held suspect. The Riady affair during the November presidential election indicates that Asians are held to a different standard than that applied to others participating in the American political process: Indonesian businessman James Riady, who has a stake in several companies in the US, had contributed about $200,000 to President Clinton's election campaign fund since 1992. This resulted in a frenzy of media reports insinuating that Asian foreigners were buying political influence and access through political contributions. Never mind the fact that the ability of large contributors to gain special access to decision-makers is hardly news in electoral politics.
The Los Angeles Times accused the Clinton administration of giving favors to Indonesia following the Riady donations. If so, Riady's influence at the White House is about as effective as a cotton blanket on a New Hampshire winter night.
The Clinton Administration continues to criticize Indonesia for its human rights and East Timor policies.
In a paper delivered about six months ago, at a Jakarta conference on the Indonesian capital market, former Australian Prime Minister Robert Hawke revealed that he sees this position as a typical reflection of America's continued denial of the pivotal role played by the Asian value system -- which insists on
discipline before democracy -- in creating the Asian economic miracle. Asia's economies have grown at a remarkable rate in the last decade. While the United States has been celebrating an increase of between 2 and 3 per cent in its economy, most South-east Asian nations have been experiencing growth of between 6 and 8 percent.
This, in turn, has doubled and, in some cases, tripled the Asian worker's income in the past 10 years. The income gap is also relatively narrow. For example, a typical CEO in Singapore earns 27 times more than a production operator, says New York-based management consultancy Towers Perrin. In America, figures suggest the opposite. The income gap has widened in the last 20 years to its worst level since records began. Business Week magazine reported recently that a CEO's earnings are about 150 times those of the average worker in his company. In 1974, the comparable figure was about 35 times.
Yet, America lectures on the need for better distribution of wealth throughout Asia.
In 1994, in one year, about 39,500 people were killed by handguns in America. The treatment of minorities, namely African-Americans and Native Americans, is still shameful in America.
Yet, America preaches to Asia about its lack of commitment to human rights.
It's time to stop. The way to convince Asia about human rights and democracy is not to threaten it with economic punishments. The way to convince Asia is for America to clean up its act at home.
