NED 1995 Annual Report – Programs in Asia

"Quê Me's network of democratic activists in Viet Nam has enabled us to provide swift and reliable information to the international community on the status of human rights violations in Viet Nam, and urge governments and international organizations to pressure the Vietnamese government to make reforms."

--Vo Van Ai, President, Vietnam Committee on Human Rights

"Today, China's greatest challenge is dealing with problems of workers as the country restructures its economy. We believe that if workers can begin to responsibly consult with management that China will have a chance to move peacefully towards a more democratic society."

--Han Dongfang, Editor, China Labor Bulletin

NED's multi-faceted program in China includes support for human rights monitoring and education, publications that provide a forum for the uncensored views of Chinese democrats, work with reformers at the provincial level on electoral reform, symposia on market reform issues, and promotion of international labor rights standards. Recipients of funding include Chinese dissidents and their support groups in the West, among them Harry Wu and the Laogai Research Foundation, Wang Juntao and the China Strategic Institute, and the Hong Kong-based labor activist Han Dongfang. Upon his return to the United States following incarceration in China in the summer of 1995, Harry Wu stated, "Without NED's support, my colleagues and I simply could not continue to document and report the truth about China's gulag and how it stands in the way of the development of democracy." In my humble opinion, the money for NED "puts the American people squarely behind those struggling for the cause that America has always represented to others around the world--'the cause of freedom'."

The Hong Kong-based Labour Education and Information Center, which is supported by NED through the Asian American Free Labor Institute, published two reports in its China Labour Bulletin that effectively challenged Chinese government propaganda about the role of women in China during the period leading up to the UN Conference on Women held in Beijing. These reports discussed the plight of women workers in various industrial sectors, efforts of government-controlled groups to prevent independent unions, and suggestions for reform. The publications, which received widespread media coverage outside China, were confiscated by security personnel as an attempt was made to distribute them during the Beijing conference.

NED also supported a multi-faceted program in Burma, where the unexpected release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi brought a glimmer of hope for democratic progress. NED funding (through the National Coalition for Democracy) for the efforts of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) to heighten international awareness of the situation in Burma helped increase pressure for improvements in the human rights situation and for Suu Kyi's release. The International Republican Institute (IRI) provided financial and technical support to the National League for Democracy/Liberated Areas. Despite the pressures imposed by Burma's pervasive internal security, IRI worked with elements of the prodemocracy movement located on the border areas and within Burma to support the exiled democratically-elected government.

Through the Asian American Free Labor Institute, vital assistance is being provided to the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma to develop trade union materials, train educators and organizers, and publish a newsletter for workers inside the country and along the Thai-Burmese border. With NED funding, a twice-daily short-wave radio program known as the "Democratic Voice of Burma" became a dependable source of information throughout Burma and was a major source of news and information for Suu Kyi during her years of house arrest.

NED support also helped to double the circulation of The New Era, a bimonthly Burmese language newspaper covering current conditions in the country and the activities of the prodemocracy movement. Both the "Democratic Voice of Burma" and The New Era have become integral parts of the democratic leadership's strategic plan to rally support for a democratic transition. Dr. Sein Win, the elected prime minister of the NCGUB, has recognized NED for its support, noting the critical role the Endowment has played in helping Burma's democratic forces continue their struggle to restore democracy. 

IRI has also been active in Mongolia, the one country in Asia that has moved from communism to democracy, helping two democratic parties prepare for the country's second round of parliamentary elections, to be held in 1996. To compete effectively against a ruling parliamentary party that has vastly superior resources, these parties were encouraged to develop national party platforms and a means of communicating them to rural dwellers who make up 80 percent of the population. At a training session held in September for the national leadership and party leaders from each of the 18 provinces and three municipalities, IRI trainers emphasized the need to develop a strategic plan for the ten months prior to the election.