Democracy

Thais face a tough choice tomorrow

Tomorrow, 24 March 2019, is a day that will forever be etched in the history books. Tomorrow, Thais will choose who they want to lead them to glory or perhaps drag the country down to damnation. While some pundits believe that victory is already in the hands of general turned prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, and that whoever wants to taste victory should align themselves to the military; the ultimate choice still lies in the hands of those who will make their mark on the ballot papers.

23 March 2019
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Is Thailand becoming Myanmar?

The military in Myanmar, also known as the Tatmadaw, is guaranteed 25 percent of parliamentary seats under the country’s constitution. If the National League of Democracy (NLD) - the party under Aung San Suu Kyi that won the general elections in 2015 - wants to implement any constitutional changes, it would need more than a 75 percent majority.

16 March 2019
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Myanmar’s fading democratic sheen

When Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League of Democracy (NLD) party won the general elections in 2015, a new wave of hope swept Myanmar. Previously under a military junta for almost 50 years from 1962 to 2011, Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi and her cohort represented the change the country so badly needed; a shift from military dictatorship to a functioning democracy.Throughout the election campaign, Suu Kyi and the NLD promised bold political reforms that would transform the country.

27 February 2019
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Defending democracy’s essence

On 10 December, 1948, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, affirming the view that “the will of the people” – democracy – should form the basis of any government. But seven decades later, the world’s democracies are in peril. After a fourfold increase in the number of democracies between the end of World War II and 2000, we are now in a sustained period of political regression.

29 September 2018
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Thai democracy faces uncertain future

Ever since the military junta gained power in 2014, it has promised on numerous occasions that democracy will return to Thailand and fresh elections will be held. Four years since the installation of a military government known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), elections have yet to be held and citizens there are losing patience. Pro-democracy protests calling for the end of military rule and fresh elections have increased in frequency and in crowd size.

30 May 2018
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Surging Thai economy grist for junta as pressure for vote builds

A surprise surge in Thailand’s economic growth could sway the country’s military government to stick to a plan for fresh elections early next year.Rebounding agricultural output and more traditional drivers such as exports and tourism helped propel gross domestic product growth to a five-year high of 4.8 percent last quarter.

25 May 2018
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PHILIPPINES - ASEAN - SUMMIT

Backed by China, Hun Sen remains unstoppable

With Beijing smiling down upon him – showering the developing country with investments minus any obligations to human rights and democracy – Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen continues his iron fist rule without any fear of opposition.His most blatantly undemocratic move was to dissolve the existing opposition party, the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) which was met with immense condemnation by the western world.Now, he is going after the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), a lea

8 December 2017
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The Trumping of Cambodian democracy

Over the last year, Cambodia’s ruling party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), has dramatically increased its pressure on its political opponents and civil society. Democracy in Cambodia has always been fraught, and elections are not completely free and fair.

3 December 2017
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Hun Sen cements grip on Cambodia

Cambodia’s democracy woes are far from over.On Thursday, the country’s Supreme court dissolved the main opposition party, the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and banned 118 its politicians from office for five years.

20 November 2017
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Thai PM: 'Democratisation next step for Thailand'

Thailand said it remains on course for elections next year and that curbs on political parties will soon be eased, as pressure mounts on the military government to roll back restrictions on campaigning.Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said last month a vote will be held in November 2018, though analysts are concerned the military will seek to retain power.

15 November 2017
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