The Persistence of Authoritarian Regimes and Asia’s Long Road to Democracy

Economic development and authoritarian regimes have often gone hand-in-hand in Southeast Asia. Despite optimism that “democratization” would eventually be embraced, the adoption of heavy-handed political tactics by authoritarian leaders has instead stood out recently. This special section examines recent political trends in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore and how they impact the prospects for democratization.

Photo: Thai pro-democracy forces protest against a ruling by Thailand’s Constitutional Court and call for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to step down. Photo taken at Victory Monument in Bangkok on October 1, 2022. (©ZUMA Press/ Kyodo News Images).