Great Decisions 2012 Winter Update: Promoting Democracy

 

Great Decisions Updates are issued seasonally and provide groups with the latest news and analysis on topics. The Winter 2012 Update is current as of January 13, 2012. Download the Winter 2012 Update as a PDF here.

by Leslie Huang, assistant editor

 

In December, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the U.S. would undertake an active effort to combat the persecution of and abuses against LGBT persons as part of the U.S.’s commitment to human rights. Although he stopped short of directly tying foreign aid dollars to gay rights, President Barack Obama issued a memo affirming Clinton’s remarks and directing foreign aid agencies to promote LGBT rights.

In January, the Egyptian military government cracked down on international democracy promotion and human rights groups based in Cairo. Many of the nonprofit organizations—which included the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI)—had their offices raided and computers confiscated. The raids sparked an international outcry from the U.S., Germany and the European Union.

In December, Secretary of State Clinton made a historic visit to Myanmar, the first by a U.S. secretary of state since 1955. Clinton met with the government, including President Thein Sein, as well as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The high-level visit was seen as a response to Myanmar’s recent moves toward democratic reform, including the freeing of some political prisoners and wider political mobility for Suu Kyi’s political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). During her visit, Clinton announced $1.2 million in assistance to civil society groups. In January, business leaders from Japan and the U.S., including Microsoft head Bill Gates, also announced plans to visit Myanmar in a further sign that democratic reforms in the once-isolated country will be met by integration into the international community. Following Myanmar’s release of a significant number of political prisoners on January 13, the U.S. announced that it would resume full diplomatic relations with Myanmar.