Democracy in Development Perspective et me first express my deep gratitude for being given an opportunity and privilege of addressing this very distinguished forum, As the one with a certain interest in Southeast Asian affairs, I should also like to congratulate this particular ASEAN initiative in bringing together leading journalists of the region to engage in a dialogue of common concern, that is to say, freedom of the press and democratic development. One would in- .deed hope that it could be to represent a positive step litniv is further, if not quite a departure, from Conventional and negative concern with a mere security matter. Now that ideological and military rivalri are becoming things of the past with the collapse of Communis a fresh rethinking is really needed so that we can have a pretty clear idea of our own future. In our topsy-turvy world, so much damage has been done in the name of freedom