Why is Duterte — and other ASEAN leaders — like durian?

America’s Smithsonian magazine once described durian as “the notorious Asian fruit.” Similarly, western media often resort to negatives when describing our leader, President Rody R. Duterte. Maybe you could make a case that most of our strong, colorful and popular leaders in the ASEAN region, including President Duterte, are like the exotic, pungent and earthy durian fruit — often misunderstood by those in the west, but good in taste and nutritious.

Just days before the start of the historic ASEAN Summit in Manila, I was invited to head an ASEAN delegation of mostly business and economic journalists to tour the vast infrastructure and modern high-speed railway projects across central and northwest China.

In the ancient imperial capital of Xian City, I was pleasantly surprised that we culturally, linguistically, religiously and ethnically diverse ASEAN media delegates were delighted to see durian fruits being sold by street vendors. We all know and appreciate the durian. I told them that President Duterte’s hometown Davao City is famous for its durian.

I think many in the west, especially its mainstream media and politicos, do not fully understand and appreciate the diverse socio-political realities of ASEAN, using sweeping accusations like “undemocratic,” “repressive,” “humans rights violators,” etc., to describe most of our region’s leaders. But I disagree with their assessment. Here’s why:

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. One of the world’s longest-serving government leaders has often been criticized by the west as a “dictator,” however, many in Asia consider Hun Sen a politically astute and visionary strongman who has helped rebuild and stabilize his horribly war-ravaged nation of Cambodia after the nightmare years of the Khmer Rouge. Even Hun Sen’s harshest critics acknowledge that his imperfect rule has ushered in continuous economic growth and development, welcoming foreign investments and tourists.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Although less harsh and less combative than his father, the late Cambridge-trained Singapore founding father Lee Kuan Yew, the social media-savvy and more affable Harvard/Cambridge-educated Lee Hsien Loong is no less strong-willed in the politics governing ASEAN’s wealthiest country. Most media entities are state-controlled and one political party has won all elections since independence.

Lee’s government recently disagreed in March with a US court that granted “political asylum” to a young dissident Singaporean blogger who had previously been briefly jailed for posting hate speech against national leaders and for denigrating the Christian and Islamic religions.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo. This democratic Indonesian leader hasn’t been the object of western political and media attacks.

Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Some European and US media and politicos have criticized the Thai military ruler for his “undemocratic” policies after he gained political power via a military coup against a popularly elected regime. However, many of these same western critics have forgotten that they have on numerous occasions also attacked the previously elected regimes identified with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for alleged human rights abuses in his draconian anti-illegal drugs and anti-crimes campaign.

Also, after years of near political chaos pitting the red forces of the Thaksin bloc versus the yellow forces identified with the mainly Bangkok-based elites, the present uninterrupted political stability and relative social peace under Prime Minister Prayuth has become a welcome relief for many citizens, tourists, domestic business people and foreign investors. 

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. A favorite whipping boy of Western media and politicos is Najib, who is accused of strong-arm political tactics against the opposition and also  alleged big-time corruption like the recent case involving the sovereign fund 1MDB. He has denied the charges. I think bold reforms are needed, despite his ruling coalition having won all elections since independence and has guided the multi-racial nation towards economic prosperity. 

Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The Western media like Forbes in 2011 and Time magazine in 2015 listed oil-rich Brunei’s absolute ruler Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah as the world’s second wealthiest royal ruler with a net worth of $20 billion, next only to the late Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej with an estimated fortune of $30 billion.  They reported: “He is known for lavish spending: the Sultan reportedly owns more than 600 Rolls-Royces, and his residence — Istana Nurul Iman, the world’s largest palace — cost over $350 million.”

However, not much is reported in western media about the largesse Brunei Darussalam’s Sultan has given to all its citizens in terms of free taxation, free education from primary to college levels (promising students are sent for free schooling abroad like in Britain or Australia), free medical care (if specialized medical are is not available in Brunei, the state provides free medical care in Singapore or Britain), free social welfare benefits, a generous pension scheme and free land for housing.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Similar to the socialist system of China with its uncompromising one-party regime by Communist rulers, Vietnam is definitely not a western-style one-man, one-vote and free-press political democracy. The western media and politicos have for decades criticized this system as “undemocratic,” but unlike North Korea, Vietnam is similar to China in continuously evolving its meritocratic and consensus-based political system alongside bold market-oriented economic reforms.

Both Vietnam and China have achieved “economic miracles” in past decades, lifting their masses out of poverty. The US-led World Bank reported on Vietnam’s stunning success story: “The poverty headcount in Vietnam fell from nearly 60 percent to 20.7 percent in the past 20 years… The country has also made remarkable progress in education. Primary and secondary enrollments for the poor have reached more than 90 percent and 70 percent respectively.”

Laos President Bounnhang Vorachith. Similar to its neighbor Vietnam, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a one-party socialist state, but it has learned from China’s example of combining authoritarian politics with reformist market-oriented economics.

In 2009, though the government was still communist, the Obama government declared Laos as no longer a Marxist–Leninist state and thus lifted prohibitions on Laotian firms from gaining financing from the US Export-Import Bank.

Myanmar State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi. One year since sweeping into political power after an election victory, the former favorite darling of the western media and politicos Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has now often been accused by the west of being unfair to her nation’s Rohingya Muslim minority and for alleged bad governance. A recent United Nations resolution even wanted to send an independent international fact-finding mission to Myanmar.

Despite Western media criticism, I believe the popular, hardworking, astute and honest Aung San Suu Kyi — along with her partners in the military — are still ethnically-diverse Myanmar’s best hope for long-term stability and sustainable economic development.

Philippine President Rody R. Duterte. Last but not least, our maverick, imperfect, controversial, brutally frank, reformist, action-oriented and Asia-focused leader President Duterte has become the latest favorite target of Western media and political criticisms.

Even several top US newspapers have published unprecedented editorials and reports attacking his policies and his unrelenting anti-drug war, some of which I strongly believe lack journalistic fairness and balance.

Back to the report of Smithsonian magazine on the often misunderstood and uniquely Southeast Asian durian: perhaps our ASEAN leaders and most especially the regional grouping’s Chairman Duterte can be described in the same way? While some people will instantly “love the smell and taste of the fruit, Anthony Bourdain calls it ‘indescribable, something you will either love or despise.’”

The ASEAN region has a great economic future under our strong yet imperfect leaders. I believe that we and western media should be less harsh in condemning them, and instead balance criticisms by citing their progressive policies and encourage them towards positive reforms.

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