Double standards criticized at democracy conference

VILNIUS - When the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, spoke at the Community of Democracies conference in Vilnius over June 30 and July 1, attended by hundreds of high-profile delegates from across the globe, including heads of state from Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Finland, it appeared she was focused on two agendas. Primarily, praising governments who have embraced democratic practices, and slamming those who refused them, such as Lithuania’s neighbor, Belarus. 

Lithuania’s transformation over the past two decades into a “thriving” democracy, as Clinton put it, was applauded by a consensus of the 50-plus speakers during the events, while on the flipside, human rights violations ongoing and attributed to dictator Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus were shunned en masse.
“We should speak out when countries like Belarus brutally repress the rights of its citizens,” Clinton announced during a commanding twenty minute speech at the Litexpo Center on July 1.

The conference was hosted by Lithuania and chaired by the nation’s president, Dalia Grybauskaite, who for the two days was visibly cosy for the cameras, chatting with the American politician (who last year ranked as the world’s fifth most powerful woman by American magazine Forbes, directly behind German Chancellor Angela Merkel).
“Perhaps my country will one day match Lithuania, with the implementation of a female president,” Clinton told an audience during talks titled ‘Women Enhancing Democracy,’ on June 30, apparently poking humor at her own failed bid to run as U.S. President against Barack Obama in 2008.

Black motorcades ruled the streets of Vilnius, as the conference sought to highlight questions of equality, press freedoms and economic independence throughout growing democracies, with focus centered on new members of the CoD, at times troubled nations, Moldova and Tunisia.

“We will contribute five million dollars from US AID [United States Agency for International Development] to support this new initiative,” announced Clinton, in relation to a joint U.S.-Polish task force “of activism and experts” to be present in habilitating the construction of Moldovan democracy.

The landlocked far-Eastern European nation, statistically the poorest country on the continent, was represented by its Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs, Iurie Leanca. Giving a speech about the challenges faced by Moldova in its political transition, Leanca assured that the country was “advancing the fight against corruption and the trafficking of human beings.”
“Our efforts will not be spent in vain, and Moldova will become a vibrant, democratic society,” he said, citing the prospect of future EU membership as a major driving force spurring the region toward these changes.

The success of Lithuania’s transition out of Soviet totalitarianism and into its current democracy was spoken of reverentially, and as an example to nations such as Moldova aiming towards similar political landscapes.
“Protestors who helped bring down communism went on to raise strong democratic institutions and civil societies. Leaders put the needs of their country and their people ahead of their personal interests. So this region has become a model for the world,” applauded Clinton.

During a press conference, when asked by TBT how, over the next decades, Lithuania would keep democracy alive within the country, Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis said the answer was “simple.”

“Democracy is not changeable. Not reversible. We are fighting for democracy today, we are building democracy today. Sometimes we have huge victories, sometimes we have failure. […] I do not want to say we are perfect, but we are in the process, and I am very proud. When I read the last evaluation from the European Union Human Rights Agency, in 2010, which ranked Lithuania among the most democratic countries, this was a real award for me.”

Azubalis continued to state how global press watchdog, Freedom House, recently rated the Lithuanian media as being free and uncorrupted by government forces, a far cry from the undemocratic press of the Soviet era. “This gives me a strong moral support to continue this path,” he iterated.

Bordered by Russia, the superpower most plausibly threatening to the country’s democracy, Lithuania’s political alliances within the CoD helped reinforce Azubalis’ comments of a future unhindered by independent governance.
Though, when President Grybauskaite announced amid her speech, “We must impose the same human rights demands on all non-democratic regimes. Therefore, we cannot put up with human rights violations in one country and overlook them in another,” it was seen by many as a criticism of Washington using double standards by finger-pointing at Belarus, while at the same time overlooking Russia’s similarly undemocratic standards.

As Lithuania’s presidency over the CoD from 2009 to 2011 draws to a conclusion, the chairmanship will be handed over to the similarly superpower bordered (Asian) country, Mongolia. A symbolic changing of the guard took place during a joint press conference presided over by Azubalis and Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj.
“Mongolia has two big neighbors [Russia and China]. Because of that, we have a third neighbor policy. We regard the European Union as our third neighbor. We regard North America as our third neighbor. We regard Lithuania as our third neighbor,” divulged Elbegdorj, after accepting the transfer of chairmanship.

“To our Lithuanian hosts, I want to extend to you, well done. […] Yours are big shoes to fill,” he said.
While the media’s spotlight was firmly on political powerhouse USA, and the presidents from Lithuania, Finland and Mongolia, it was the presence of top officials from countries such as Albania and Bosnia, whose governments in recent history were known for notorious political corruption and human rights abuses, which ignited intrigue as to their purposes for membership in the CoD.

While their attendance was viewed both as working towards acceptance into the European Union and as a reminder of their political alliances, it also illuminated countries whose heads were absent from the proceedings, like Belarus.
“I think we should condemn this kind of thing. Justice is non-negotiable,” affirmed Elbegdorj, in response to allegations of recent violent human rights violations within Lithuania’s neighbor’s borders.

When asked by a Belarusian journalist present what message he had for citizens living underLukashenko’s regime, Azubalis answered, “Don’t be afraid. You are brave people. […] We are free today because we have had some brave people who weren’t afraid, and took to the streets [in protest]. And we won.”

On July 3, former president of Belarus, Stanislau Shushkevich, was detained at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border with 12 students, allegedly in relation to their participation in the democracy conference. They have since been released.
The next major meeting of the Community of Democracies will take place in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, in 2013.