I am very thankful to Dr. Jo Kwong, the former Vice President of Atlas Economic Research Foundation, for bringing me to the EFN conferences in 2004 to 2006, even if Minimal Government was still not a member of the network. We became EFN member only in 2009 I think. If Jo did not bring me to the 2004-2006 conferences, Minimal Government may not have been part of the EFN and the Asian free market network, I don't know.
Rainer, good work. No. Rather, excellent work.
Siggi, expect the same support and friendship from us.
It's all about Freedom. And free trade, rule of law, personal responsibility and limited government.
PS: the above photo, plus another one below, I got from Rainer's fb wall.
------------
Bangkok, 17.06.2014
To all FNF partners,
Dear friends, partners and Asian
liberals,
Some of you already know that this year
in June my term as the Regional Director for Southeast and East Asia of the
Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom will come to an end. After six years in
Thailand and over 26 years of living and working in Asia, the time has come for
me to say goodbye to you.
From September onwards I will take up my
new position as FNF Regional Director for Central-Southern- and Eastern Europe
in Sofia, Bulgaria. The place may be a different one; however, the goal stays
the same: to promote freedom, liberal values, human rights, free trade,
democracy and the rule of law.
I would like to take this opportunity to
express my appreciation and gratitude for your support, friendship and
cooperation during the last six years. Without your help the Foundation would
not be where it is today, a trusted member of the Asian freedom community.
During my time in the region, I had the
good fortune to witness many exciting developments. Let me share some of them
with you:
* A major highlight of 2010 was the
election victory of the Philippine Liberal Party (LP). Together with a
delegation of the Foundation, I had the chance to witness President Noynoy Aquino’s
celebratory inauguration in Manila. President Aquino kept his campaign
promises. Today, the Philippines shows significant economic growth and a
reduction in poverty. The government is fighting corruption and promoting
people centred development.
* 2010 also marked the beginning of
Myanmar´s journey towards democracy. After years of military dictatorship,
President Thein Sein implemented a number of remarkable reforms: most political
prisoners were released, opposition parties can participate in politics,
markets opened up and the population enjoys a whole new set of civil liberties.
The Foundation has supported democratic developments in the country for many
years. Therefore, the opening of the FNF office in Yangon in 2013 was a natural
development and a special milestone in our work, marking our long-term
commitment to promoting freedom, human rights and the rule of law in the
country.
* Myanmar was not the only office
opening I witnessed. One year before, in 2012, the doors to the new FNF Vietnam
office were opened in Hanoi. Philipp Rösler, at that time German vice-chancellor
and minister for economy, gave the inaugural speech and honoured us with his
presence.
* Liberal forces become increasingly
visible in our region. In 2011, the Liberal International (LI) Congress in
Manila was the first time this important gathering of Liberals from all over the
world was held in an Asian country. Manila is also the home base of the
regional network of Asian liberal parties, the Council of Asian Liberals and
Democrats (CALD). The network is constantly growing. In 2012, the Mongolian
Civil Will and Green Party was accepted as the 10th member party.
* Our regional partner in the promotion
of human rights, a field of utmost importance to us liberals, the Regional
Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (RWG), has made good progress
in its advocacy work.
* The Economic Freedom Network Asia
(EFN) was able to hold annual conferences to discuss important topics of
economic freedom, and bring political decision-makers and analysts together to
foster better mutual understanding of the benefits of free trade, economic
growth and free markets.
* Furthermore, I am proud that some of
our programs – namely It’s all about freedom (Philippines), Dream Thailand and
SIM Democracy (both from Thailand) – were included in the best practice manual
of the Council for a Community of Democracies.
* Our Freedom Barometer Asia has become
a well-established analytical framework and tool to measure freedom in the
region and to stimulate debate and conversations about concrete policies
increasing personal liberty and individual responsibility.
Despite all the successes, many
challenges remain. A lot of countries in the region still lack the enforcement
of the rule of law, have a poor human rights record or are economically underdeveloped.
* North Korea for example is virtually
sealed off from the rest of the world. The government´s refusal to adhere to
the most basic democratic principles is of great concern.
* Thailand is repeatedly seeing
political unrest, outbreaks of violence as well as military coups.
* Malaysian politics are dominated by
conservative religious leaders and interpretations of Islamic teachings that do
not treat men and women equally. The opposition coalition has nonetheless done
well in recent years and mustered more than 50% of the popular vote in the last
national election.
* In Cambodia, government critics are
hardly tolerated. However, the strong public support for the newly formed
opposition alliance, Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), gives reason to
hope for a more balanced political power structure and representation of the people´s
will. The Foundation has supported the political actors in today’s CNRP for
many years.
(Good friend Neric Acosta, FNF PH Country Director Jules Maaten, and Rainer, November 2013 during the "Freedom Run 2013" in Quezon City which I also participated, I ran the 10K. -- Nonoy)
* On top of all these “man-made”
problems, the Asian region is very prone to natural disasters and negative
impacts of changing climate patterns. The devastating floods in Thailand in
2011 or the powerful typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines 2013 remind us that we
may not always be able to prevent such events. However, we can identify and
pursue liberal answers for disaster preparedness and response. The CALD climate
change programs are first steps towards an Asian Liberal Climate Change Agenda.
To summarize, I and the FNF colleagues
in the region can proudly look back on many achievements towards more freedom
in Southeast and East Asia. I am thankful for all the experiences I made and to
all the people I met on the way. I am convinced that my esteemed successor, Mr.
Siegfried Herzog, will do his utmost to continue our mission for more freedom
and democracy in Southeast and East Asia. Mr. Herzog will resume his work at
the end of August 2014. Please extend to him the same trust you have extended
to me.
I go with a heavy heart, a laughing and
a crying eye as we say in German. Once again, I thank you for your trust, your
support and your friendship. I hope that our future paths will cross again. I
wish you and your work all possible success. In your private lives I wish you
and your families’ health and happiness.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Rainer Adam
Regional Director for Southeast and East
Asia
Friedrich Naumann Foundation for
Freedom,
Bangkok, Thailand
-----------See also:
EFN Asia 35: Rainer Adam and Economic Freedom in Asia, March 11, 2014
EFN Asia 36: Pett J and Secretariat Work, April 25, 2014
EFN Asia 37: Jeju Forum 2014, On Globalization and Inequality, May 29, 2014
EFN Asia 37: Jeju Forum 2014, On Globalization and Inequality, May 29, 2014
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