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Both China and the United States are aiming for supremacy in this part of the world.
But there is another reason why the U.S. elections matter to many people in Southeast Asia. Both U.S. presidential candidates – John McCain and Barack Obama – are popular in the region. McCain was a former Navy pilot during the Vietnam War; he spent five years in a Hanoi prison. A very young Obama lived in Jakarta for five years. He studied in two Indonesian schools.
Despite being a soldier of the country which attacked Vietnam, McCain has many supporters in Vietnam. As a senator, McCain supported the normalization of relations between the United States and Vietnam.
Even former detention guards at Hoa Lo prison, more popularly known today as the “Hanoi Hilton,” where McCain was incarcerated and allegedly tortured for five years, are supporting the candidacy of McCain. The prison guards, now retired generals, believe McCain as U.S. president will be good to Vietnam since Vietnamese peasants saved his life when he almost drowned in a lake after his Skyhawk bomber was hit by a missile in 1967.
Obama’s stepfather is Indonesian. There is a Facebook group called “Indonesia for Obama ’08” which is somehow a hint that Obama is well regarded in this country. In his book, Obama discussed the covert support provided by the U.S. government to right-wing Indonesian generals who ordered the purge of thousands of Indonesian communist members and sympathizers in the 1960s. Obama seems to be critical of U.S. foreign policy toward Indonesia. Obama’s mother is also recognized as a pioneer of a microfinance program in Indonesia that gave livelihood loans to poor women.
Both McCain and Obama have faced controversy regarding their Asian ties. In 2000 McCain said he hated “gooks,” referring to his Vietnamese captors. He added, "I will hate them as long as I live."
The word “gook” is a term of war and a term of racism. U.S. soldiers first used the word “goo-goo” to describe Filipinos when the United States invaded the Philippines a century ago; the word “gook” was used again in the Korean and Vietnamese wars. In all cases, the use of the racial term was meant to demonize the enemy. It took some time before McCain apologized for his “I hate gooks” remark. An interesting question: If McCain said “I hate niggers” instead of “I hate gooks,” would he still be qualified to run as president?
During a fundraising event, Obama said he is a “desi,” an informal term meaning South Asian. While most Asians were impressed by this remark, there were negative reactions as well. Instead of pandering, Obama was advised to articulate his program for Asian Americans. Here is another comment from a blogger: “The outreach is nice, but having an immigrant father, some Asian friends, and a few years in an Indonesian school and a few more in Hawaii doesn't make you Asian, and it certainly doesn't make you Indian.”
Will Southeast Asia stand to gain from an Obama or McCain presidency? Who is the better candidate? Who will win the Asian American vote?
McCain is distancing himself from President George W. Bush. But he believes in more troop deployments in the Middle East and the continued U.S. leadership in the War on Terror campaign. Would this mean an intensified U.S. military presence in Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines and Indonesia where terrorist cells are reported to be operating?
Obama vows to bring back American jobs by reviewing U.S. free trade agreements. This has been interpreted by some analysts as a threat to the business process outsourcing industry. Would this lead to the closing or reduction of outsourcing operations in several Asian countries, especially in India, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines?
What is the immigration policy of both Obama and McCain? Will they support the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act which aims to recognize the contribution of Filipino soldiers during World War II? Will they continue to impose economic sanctions on the junta-led Myanmar? What is their solution to the global financial crisis? Can they revive the U.S. economy under their leadership?
Bush is perceived by many Southeast Asians as both incompetent and arrogant. The Bush doctrine of preemptive strike has angered many people, especially Muslims, in the region. The next U.S. president will face enormous political and economic challenges. Both Obama and McCain should maximize their Asian ties to promote a sincere and productive relationship with Asian societies.
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(Mong Palatino is an activist and regional editor for Southeast Asia of Global Voices Online. He can be contacted at mongpalatino@gmail.com and his Web site is www.mongpalatino.motime.com. ©Copyright Mong Palatino)
