Quest for democracy 

To Be Free : Chee Soon Juan. Monash Asia Institute, Australia. A$24.95.

This book vividly recounts the struggles of six prominent Asian human-rights activists and their protracted efforts toward building democratic societies in their own countries.

It is not for light reading: Chee's book contains graphic descriptions of violence against some of these activists, including the late Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino of the Philippines, who challenged the dictatorial regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos; Kim Dae Jung of South Korea, who spent 50 years of his life opposing military-dominated governments; veteran opposition politician Shih Kuo-tsuei of Taiwan; Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy remains the focus of political opposition to the military regime; Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer, winner of the 1995 Ramon Magsaysay Award; and Chia Thye Poh, who spent more than 22 years in a Singapore jail without being charged or tried.

Ironically, Chee, secretary-general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, manages to make this an extremely readable, even humorous, book. His dry, sardonic wit repeatedly breaks through an otherwise sobering subject as he recounts several inherently ridiculous situations, making laughter the only option.

In one surreal episode, former Indonesian President Suharto writes a letter to Pramoedya, explaining why he found it necessary to imprison him "for a mistake in judgment." Pramoedya's rehearsed and censored reply, after spending eight years in jail without trial, proclaims his wonderment and honour at how the president could possibly be concerned with the well-being of such a nobody. Chee doesn't say whether Pramoedya himself penned the piece, but regardless, it is hilarious and dripping with irony.

Chee himself is no spectator; as an opposition figure in Singapore, he has had his run-ins with the authorities and has spent time in jail for speaking in public without a permit. Even his attempts to promote this book have been thwarted by the governing People's Action Party. Still, Chee continues to deride Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew for what he sees as Lee's willingness to tell everyone else in Asia how they should be running their affairs, and exploding with rage whenever the criticism is directed against Singapore.

Chee adeptly uses the geographic and political spread of his subjects to underscore how widespread, and commonly accepted, the concepts of human rights and democracy are across such a diverse region. In doing so he also deliberately debunks the notion of Asian values. By picking examples from different parts of Asia, each with its own distinct culture and history, Chee powerfully demonstrates the commonality of human aspirations, and how they tend towards freedom, truth and justice. A closely argued forward by Martin Lee, chairman of Hong Kong's Democratic Party sets the theme.

Most of the book concentrates on providing background to the respective human-rights stands of these six activists. Because these descriptions are relatively brief, a historian might question the author's thoroughness. But each of these six stories offers critical insight into why the individuals did what they did, why the authorities responded in the way they did, and the differences these individuals made. For example, arguably, the extra-judicial killing of Ninoy Aquino marked the beginning of the end of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos' political stranglehold.

To Be Free clearly demonstrates that the extraordinary sacrifices of these activists have not been in vain. Kim Dae Jung is now president of South Korea. Pramoedya is, perhaps, Indonesia's best known and most respected author. Corazon Aquino took over her husband's mantle to become president of the Philippines and Shih Kuo-tsuei is a well-regarded Taiwanese opposition legislator. Aung San Suu Kyi keeps the flame of democracy alive in Burma; and Chia, though exiled from Singapore, serves as a role model to those who--like the author--seek an alternative to Singapore's political uniformity.

There are, however, occasions when Chee could better clarify the chronological sequence of events he relates. In the section on Singapore, in which other prominent Singapore activists are also featured, it is not always clear to whom he is referring. But these are small criticisms.

Chee's message is that the future of human rights in Asia lies with these bold men and women whom he has chosen as his subjects. Their vastly different backgrounds and circumstances demonstrate the universality of the views in which they so passionately believe. Against them are the combined forces of repression, torture and death used by governments to maintain their grip on power.

On the surface it may appear to be a hopelessly uneven struggle. Yet Chee plainly believes the tide of history lies with those who believe in an open and free society. It is a book that is ultimately optimistic. The courage shown by all six subjects was not, and is not, in vain. In some cases they have made a difference; in other instances that difference has yet to be made.