It has been 10 years since the "Arab Spring" democratization movement, in which dictatorial governments fell one after another due to large-scale public demonstrations, began.
In Tunisia, North Africa, where it started, a ceremony was held to commemorate democratization, while demonstrations were held to protest the high unemployment rate, which has not improved at all.
In Tunisia, a young man selling vegetables on the street protested police crackdown on December 17, 10 years ago in central Sidi Bujid, and attempted self-immolation, which led to a demonstration for 23 years. The subsequent Ben Ali administration collapsed.
The movement for democratization has spread to Arab countries such as the Middle East, and it has become a big swell such as the collapse of the dictatorship in Egypt and Libya, and it is called "Arab Spring".
A ceremony was held at a hotel in Sidi Bujid on the 17th, and Governor Muhammad Sedoki said, "We were able to fulfill many of the demands for employment, freedom and dignity that triggered the revolution." Emphasized the achievements of 10 years.
On the other hand, in the plaza near the scene where young people committed suicide, hundreds of citizens demonstrated beside the event venue to commemorate democratization, raising anger at the high unemployment rate and the gap between rich and poor, which could not be improved at all. Was there.
One of the men said, "Nothing we asked for in the revolution has come true. It's just more painful."
In the Arab Spring, many countries are in turmoil, with civil wars still continuing in Syria and Yemen, and Tunisia is said to be the "only successful example" of democratization through the establishment of constitutions and elections. However, people are increasingly dissatisfied with the economic downturn and political turmoil, and the search for national stability continues.
Tunisia is also the “only successful example” of democratization
As many countries are confused by the democratization movement "Arab Spring," Tunisia in North Africa, which started the democratization movement, is advancing the democratization process and is said to be the "only successful example" of the Arab Spring.
In Tunisia, anti-government protests spread throughout the country in December 2010 when a young street vendor protested police crackdown and self-immolated in the central town of Sidi Buzid, leaving only a few dictatorial Ben Ali administrations that lasted 23 years. It collapsed in less than a month.
Named after the flower that represents Tunisia, it was named the "Jasmine Revolution." In 2014, a new constitution was enacted to recognize freedom of speech and religion and guarantee gender equality, and was elected in a democratic election. The first president was born.
In 2015, the following year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the "National Dialogue Quartet," which was created by four organizations, including labor unions and human rights organizations, for contributing to democratization through repeated dialogues despite political turmoil.
On the other hand, the activities of Islamic extremists became active, such as the addition of many young people to the extremist organization IS = Islamic State, and museums and resort hotels were attacked in 2015, killing many foreign tourists including Japanese. became.
Terrorist attacks by young people from Tunisia to Europe have occurred frequently, and countermeasures against Islamic extremists are still a major issue.
In addition to the political distrust of the people due to political turmoil, the economic downturn such as the high unemployment rate of young people, which was the background of the demonstration 10 years ago, is serious, and while democratization is progressing, political and economic affairs We are still searching for ways to achieve stability.
What triggered the "Arab Spring"
It has been 10 years since the beginning of the democratization movement "Arab Spring", in which dictatorial governments fell one after another due to public demonstrations seeking democratization in the Middle East and other Arab countries.
The trigger was that a young man selling vegetables on the streets in Tunisia, North Africa, committed suicide by self-immolation in protest of police crackdown on December 17, 2010, and the demonstration began the next day.
Dissatisfaction with the high unemployment rate and corruption, especially among young people, exploded, leading to large-scale anti-government demonstrations seeking democratization, and the dictatorial Ben Ali administration collapsed.
The swell of the democratic movement quickly spread to Arab countries, forcing President Mubarak, who had been in power for nearly 30 years in Egypt, to resign, and the collapse of the Kadafi dictatorship for more than 40 years in Libya. ..
On the other hand, in Syria, the Assad administration thoroughly suppressed the democratization movement and developed into a civil war in the swamp, and about 12 million people, one in two people, were displaced from their homes, and the civil war is still continuing. ..
The turmoil in Syria also led to the rise of the extremist organization IS = Islamic State, and the threat of large numbers of refugees and Islamic extremists had a great impact on the world.
Moreover, in Egypt, the government elected by democratic elections collapsed in a de facto coup d'etat by the military and reverted to a powerful system, which did not lead to the progress of democratization in many countries.
On the other hand, in April last year, anti-government demonstrations in Algeria and Sudan triggered the collapse of a long-term dictatorial government, and it was called the "second Arab Spring". It is still going on in Arab countries.