12pm, TUES: The struggle in Asia today is not only against authoritarian regimes but also, increasingly, against phoney democracies, KeADILan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said in Warsaw yesterday.

Speaking at the World Forum on Democracy, Wan Azizah said there are regimes which call themselves democracies to avoid international censure, but in practice, are little more than authoritarian governments.

"In these phoney democracies, the institutions of civil society are systematically undermined. The citizens are denied their civic and political rights. The press is muzzled and the judiciary is not independent," said Wan Azizah.

"They hold regular elections but these are often neither fair nor free. Rigging, vote buying, intimidation and coercion are institutionalised. The entire government machinery is abused and deployed to ensure the ruling party's victory," she added.

Wan Azizah identified corruption as one of the greatest threats to emerging democracies in Asia because it provides the ruling elite with the financial means to buy themselves back to power.

"There is also an incestuous relationship between corrupt government and crony capitalism. Thus the battle against corruption must become part and parcel of the democratic movement," she added.

Another threat to emerging democracies, said Wan Azizah, is the use of legislation to criminalise dissenters and political opponents. Those who would have been regarded previously as political prisoners now languish in jail as common criminals, she said.

Speakers at the conference, held at Poland's Reform Centre, include US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Mali President Alpha Oumar Konare, former Argentinian president Raul Alfonsin, Peruvian presidential candidate Alejandro Toledo, and East Timor independence leader and Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta.

Over 300 activists, scholars and politicians is being held concurrently with a summit of foreign ministers, "Towards a Community of Democracies", which will be discussing the state of the world's democracy and will culminate with the Warsaw Declaration on Democracy.

Foreign ministers from over 100 countries will be attending the summit but states, such as China, Iraq, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Cuba and Vietnam, which are considered authoritarian or totalitarian by summit organisers have not been invited. Malaysia is also not on the guest list.

Citing Nobel Laureate and Indian economist Armatya Sen, Wan Azizah stressed that democracy is more than a mere political process.

"It is a universal value. I believe that the universality of democracy is based upon man's desire to be free. No one in his right mind wants to live in chains. Irrespective of one's cultural background, freedom remains a fundamental human need."

She also stressed the need for individuals, organisations and political parties to rededicate themselves to forge a worldwide solidarity essential to expand the recent gains of democracy.

Wan Azizah also conveyed the greeting of her husband, former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim saying "despite his ordeal at attempts to destroy his career and honour, he remains confident that democracy will emerge triumphant in Asia this century and he looks forward to the day when all nations and peoples can live in peace, freedom and dignity."