-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	The Rise of Populist Authoritarianisms in Asia
Date:	Wed, 24 Jan 2018 04:06:54 +0000
From:	Focus on the Global South <a.imbert@focusweb.org>
Reply-To:	Focus on the Global South <a.imbert@focusweb.org>
To:	Nick Buxton <nick@tni.org>

In many countries in Asia, new forms of authoritarianism are on the rise. How should we respond to the emergence of this political force? 

The Rise of Populist Authoritarianisms in Asia Unlike in countries that only began to become more closely integrated into the global economy in the early 1990s, and where one-party rule or military dictatorships are still being challenged by nascent pro-democracy forces (such as Cambodia and Myanmar), populist authoritarian, if not altogether fascist, groups and individuals seem to be gaining—or regaining—ground in those countries which also happen to have been more closely connected to the world market and where dictatorships had previously given way to liberal-democratic rule. Challenges for Peoples' Movements In many countries in Asia, new forms of authoritarianism are on the rise. In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte—a former mayor accused of organizing death squads and who promised to make the fish of Manila Bay grow fat from the bodies of drug dealers—won the presidential elections in 2016. In Thailand in 2014, a general who had favored cracking down on demonstrators led other military leaders in launching a coup against the democratically elected government. In India, a Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won the elections in 2014, and its leader, Narendra Modi, a member of an extreme right-wing group who incited and condoned riots that killed hundreds of Muslims, became prime minister. In the same year, Prabowo Subianto, a former general under Suharto who also advocates strongman rule, nearly became Indonesia’s president. In Cambodia, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) which has been ruling the country for more than three decades has demonstrated its unwillingness to cede or even share power.  While the CPP rejects allegations of being authoritarian, it has escalated actions to get rid of its opponents, and has clamped down on any form of popular resistance and dissent that could pose significant challenges to its perpetuity. Hopes for genuine peoples’ democracy in Cambodia appear extremely dim at this time. To learn more, please check: https://focusweb.org/content/rise-populist-authoritarianisms-asia Read More Copyright © 2018 Focus on the Global South, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to our newsletter. Our mailing address is: Focus on the Global South 4th Floor Wisit Prachuabmoh Building Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road Bangkok, Bangkok 10330 Thailand Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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