Seoul, the Capital of South Korea, is a very big city. But when it comes to people power, many small steps have made this city a shining example of positive change. And you can find other encouraging examples across East Asia.
They are pretty well set up and their cosy camp features a field kitchen, sleeping tents and a powerful sound system. This summer, members of the conservative right Catholics have been camping out in front of the entrance to the city hall in the South Korean capital, Seoul, and they know exactly what they don´t want.
"Our mayor wants to grant homosexual couples more rights. This is a disgrace", an elderly man shouts into his microphone. He then grabs a drum and starts banging it with such power that it is almost impossible for anybody visiting the town hall not to notice.
"Freedom of expression is one of our most fundamental rights", says Park Won-soon, the mayor under attack. "We have to make sure all opinions are heard, especially when they are dissenting", continues the 59-year-old leader of one of the biggest cities in the world.
ٞا تتْٞ٦ اٞعرب٠ةظ 你说中庽人吔Ｘ
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The former dissident, who spent many months in prison under the military dictatorship that ended in 1987, has been pushing hard for the development of democracy since he took office in 2011.
This is best reflected in the new centrally located city hall, which Park converted into a town house. Some of the floors of the prominent glass building with its beautiful gardens are reserved for the political activities of Seoul´s citizens. Individuals, groups, associations and political parties are able to use stages, meeting rooms, exhibition halls and work spaces free of charge.
Hundreds of civil servants provide advice and information to make sure that the opinions, ideas and suggestions of Seoul´s citizens are being heard. For this reason, the mega city has constructed a giant ear in front of the city hall that symbolises the two-way flow of communication between citizens and local government.
Seoul´s example shows that small is big. Such exciting and concrete steps towards democracy usually don´t make the world news, given that they are often on a local scale and not very controversial. Instead, analyses and reports about the dire state of the power of the people have dominated discussions the debate on modern people power for many years.
The spectacular failure of the so-called Arab Spring (apart from Tunisia) and the growing reactionary authoritarian power of many states of the former Soviet Union have proved this point.
South Korea
We met with Jung-Ok Lee, a Korean democracy activist, publisher and academic and asked her: “More than 60 years after the Korean War and your country is still divided. Has this had any negative effects on the development of democracy in South Korea?
Jung-ok Lee: I am sure it did at the beginning, when reckless military rulers governed this country until the first free elections took place in 1987. There was a growing resistance movement against this suppression and that actually formed a solid basis for a rapid and positive development over the past 25 years.
P2P: What do you think are the most impressive achievements in South Korean democracy, which is still in its infancy?
J.O.L.: Our institutions. Through legislation, we have managed to create solid cross-party institutions, such as an independent electoral body, a human rights court as well as foundations for examining the consequences of the dictatorship and promoting democracy. The times are definitely over when it was dangerous to be politically active in South Korea.
P2P: Do you think this process can actually be further strengthened?
J.O.L.: After the era of Japanese colonialism, there is one thing we have learnt in this country, which is to show resistance and not to participate. In our modern and open society, this is no longer enough. For this reason, the Swiss model of direct democracy has encouraged many Koreans to "dare more democracy".
Hong-Kong
Another region, where active citizens have been on the streets for more democracy, is Hong-Kong. Here we asked Cyd Ho, one of the directly elected MPs of the HK legislature: Last year, protestors were occupying large parts of Hong Kong´s inner city for many weeks. What triggered these protests?
Cyd Ho: It was the National People´s Congress´ decision not to allow free elections in Hong Kong in 2017 – as initially promised, but to give the nomination rights to an electoral body of the Chinese state instead.
P2P: How did these protests develop, which made international headlines as the "Umbrella Revolution"?
C.H.: The term "revolution" is actually a misnomer. The mostly young protestors simply wanted to draw attention to a promise Britain had made when it handed Hong Kong over to China - namely to introduce free elections of the local government. The protestors insisted on keeping this promise.
P2P: Is it really so important to stick to this demand, which is obviously seen as a big provocation in Beijing?
C.H.: Hong Kong is like a toddler, who is able to hold a spoon but doesn´t get a chance to use it. We are dealing with a constitutional state, freedom of opinion and millions of people, who would like to take responsibility for their community.
P2P: Does this mean that many citizens would also like to take part in the decision-making process on factual issues?
C.H.: Yes, of course. The democratic parties have conducted several self-organised public votes over the past few years. Switzerland´s experience has certainly inspired and motivated us in this.
Taiwan
Across the sea from Hong-Kong you find the island of Taiwan, a country, which has seen many foreign powers in history – and still was able to develop a comprehensive democratic polity, as the following conversation with Liu Shih-Chung, the secretary-general of the Tainan City government underlines: What significance does Tainan have for Taiwan´s democracy?
Liu Shih-chung: The democracy movement of our island state actually started here in Taiwan´s oldest city in the 1970ies. Back then, military dictator Chiang Kai-shek governed this country with an iron hand. Many active citizens of our city were persecuted and imprisoned.
P2P: How has democracy developed in your country since the first free elections 19 years ago?
L.S.C.: We have come very far in a relatively short time. Formally and institutionally, we have gained extensive rights, and civil society is a lot stronger now than it was only a few years ago.
P2P: How important do you think is this development on a local level?
L.S.C.: Very important, but this does not only apply to Tainan and Taiwan but all over the world. Values such as openness and participation can be realised much more quickly on a local level than on a national level, which is often heavily polarised.
Philippines
Finally we visit the big archipelago island country of the Philippines, where people power in East Asia started from in the mid 1980s. Ramon Casiple has followed and supported this development from the very beginning: "People Power" was the slogan when former dictator Ferdinand Marcos was toppled almost 30 years ago. What´s left today?
Ramon Casiple: Quite a lot actually. The "People Power" spirit has shaped our laws and institutions. This means that our constitution and institutions are without a doubt some of the most democratic ones across Asia.
P2P: But still, specific circumstances still receive criticism.
R.C.: And rightly so! At the end of the day, our elite has not changed as much as it might appear. Up until this very day, only offspring from the super rich elite have managed to hold a high political office. This is the result of weak political structures in combination with strong family ties. If you want to become head of state, you have to cough up at least half a billion Swiss francs.
P2P: It´s a difficult combination: on one hand your political system has adopted direct democracy, and on the other hand the social structures of you country still encourage inequality. How can this be overcome?
R.C.: We need comprehensive reforms. Switzerland can be a great role model in this, and I particularly envisage authorising individual citizens to take on more responsibilities. Since the regime of Marcos was toppled, not a single government in the Philippines has dealt with this question or invested in political education.
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