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Unconditional aid undermines democracy, tolerates corruption - report
Written by: Thin Lei Win
As the debate about whether aid should be tied or not rumbles on, a new report says aid with no strings attached from countries such as China and Russia is impeding human rights and undermining democracy in many developing countries. The result is less accountable and more corrupt governance in many parts of the developing world, says "Undermining Democracy", published by Freedom House, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. China is at the forefront of using such soft-power to exert influence and gain access to natural resources in Myanmar (formerly Burma), Zimbabwe and Sudan - countries which face sanctions for human rights abuses and undemocratic rule. The report places a lot of emphasis on the importance of Western-style democracy and their merits, which is bound to raise the heckles of a few countries, especially the ones identified as "harsh regimes". But it also shows that aid based on the principle of non-interference is gaining a foothold in many developing countries. Russia, Iran and Venezuela use their oil wealth to build foreign alliances and bankroll clients abroad, the report states, but it is China that leads the field. According to the report, China's aid now outstrips that of democratic donor countries in a range of Southeast Asian and Central Asian states. The World Bank also estimates the Chinese government is the largest lender to Africa. "Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of China's growing global presence is that its government now is able to offer more extensive diplomatic protection and support to the authoritarian rulers of countries like Burma, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe," says the report, which says China has blocked international moves to pressure these regimes in the United Nations. "This unconditional assistance - devoid of the human rights rider and financial safeguards required by democratic donors, international institutions, and private lenders - is tilting the scales toward less accountable and more corrupt governance across a wide swathe of the developing world."
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Thin Lei Win joined AlertNet in June 2008, becoming the first AlertNet journalist to be based in Asia. Prior to joining AlertNet, Thin worked at trade publications in Singapore and most recently as a freelance writer in Vietnam. She has a Masters in Multi-Media Journalism from Bournemouth University.
