- Senate chairman says Asia must counter threats, neo-colonialism
Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Tuesday said that the rise of white racism was a threat to Asian region so the states and people of this continent must counter this threat and look for its destiny.
“Asia should look within itself and must decide its own destiny as the white racism and Western imperialism are not going to solve its problems,” he said this while addressing inaugural ceremony of the meeting of the Special Committee for Creation of Asian Parliament (SCCAP) and the Standing Committee on Political Affairs of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA).
“Asian parliamentarians represent people who are suffering, under nourished, are object of poverty and victim of terrorism. If we are unable to find indigenous solution for the problems of our own people, history will not forgive us,” he said. More than 70 lawmakers from 23 Asian countries are participating in the meeting, being hosted by the Senate.
Rabbani said that the nations have bilateral issues and regions have their own conflicting interests; yet the people of Asia were represented at this forum. He said that Asia was a land of natural resources but these resources were exploited by western imperialism. He remarked that Asia still continues to suffer through neo-colonialism. He pointed out the changes especially after the British exit from the European Union and the US presidential elections.
The Senate chairman said that the people of Asia would lose hope in their parliament, if this generation failed to rise up to their expectations. He said that this meeting was a positive beginning, moving towards narrowing distances. He hoped that the meeting which is taking place at a very high time would produce good results.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq appreciated the APA performance in promoting unity and prosperity. He confirmed Asia as the engine of global economy, nourishing the largest population of the world and contributing heavily to the UN peacekeeping missions. However, Asia has severe shared challenges.
Syrian People’s Assembly Speaker Dr Hadiyeh Abbas believed that the need for cooperation and solidarity was greater than ever before. Bhutan’s National Assembly Speaker Lyonpo Jigme Zangpo demonstrated that diversity has always been the mass-code of Asia and fragmentation of this continent would never render to cooperation.
The SCCAP Committee must represent collaborated interests, commitment and symbolize unity in sharing resources, he said, and added another perspective to this mechanism that these Asian parliaments may vary in working but they have similar goals strengthening parliamentary performance.
A delegate from Cambodia also deliberated on the importance of the parliament in promoting peace and security in regional and global affairs. He also noted that political stability was indispensable in Asia. Thereby, peace and security needs efficient peace mechanisms; hence, the parliamentary system was foremost to promote dialogue and cooperation.
