The Role of Japanese Non-state Actors in Democracy Promotion in Malaysia Complementing, Not Challenging

Muhamad Takiyuddin Ismail ； Amalin Sabiha Ismail

《Taiwan Journal of Democracy》 15卷2期 (2019/12) Pp. 31-56

摘要

Japan has assumed a position as one of the rising promoters of democracy. However, the role is largely centered on state actors rather than non-state actors, especially regarding engagement with civil society organizations. Despite the huge number of Japanese think tanks and non-governmental organizations, only a handful of them participate in the promotion of democracy globally. This exploratory essay seeks to examine the form of democracy promotion channeled by Japanese non-state actors to Malaysia, through a case study of two key Japanese non-state actors in Malaysia, namely the Nippon Foundation and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. The findings indicate that both organizations adopt a rather accommodative approach and play a complementary role to that of the Japanese government based on track-two diplomacy. This contrasts to the role played by high-profile non-state actors such as the National Endowment for Democracy (United States) and the Stiftungen (Germany), which have taken an approach that emphasizes engagement with the grassroots community in their democracy promotion strategies, especially in Malaysia. The decrease of engagement by Japanese non-state actors in Malaysia also raises questions regarding the role they could play in Malaysia's current transitional period.

關鍵字

Civil society organizations ； Japanese democracy promotion ； non-state actors ； Nippon Foundation ； Sasakawa Peace Foundation

參考文獻

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