democracy

What does the Bo Xilai scandal tell us about China’s political system?

A little more than a year ago, I offered an analysis on this blog of the likelihood that the color revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa would trigger a similar movement in China (http://infocus.asiaportal.info/2011/03/02/blogsin-focus2011marchare-flower-revolutions-middle-east-and-north-africa-endangering-stability/). One year later, the Chinese one-party regime is once more facing challenges, and once again it is a matter […]

A brief report from a Burma visit 13-21 February 2012

Mikael Gravers, Aarhus University The situation: On the surface there is a more relaxed mood in Rangoon when I visited Burma. However, all agree that the old totalitarian system is still working. People are still arrested during the night. Thus, we are cautioned that the situation could change rapidly again after the by-elections. There is […]

A little tale about lies by Anya Palm

“The neighborhood of Dey Krahorm has never received a social land concession.” This was the words of Cambodian Information Minister His Excellency Khieu Kanharith when I last visited him for an interview. About a week ago. But let´s go back a little. Let´s go back to May 2003. Prime Minister Hun Sen gives a speech […]

A Hero with dirty hands by Anya Palm

Friday was the first time for many Thais to hear Yingluck Shinawatra speak in public. The lady, who by the looks of all polls, is going to be Thailand’s Prime Minister by Sunday, has never really spoken to followers before, and the audience for Friday’s speech came to see “what kind of person she is”, […]

Elections but no “flower revolution” in Laos

By Kristina Jönsson Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Lund University. Elections tend to receive a lot of media attention these days—Laos being an obvious exception. Still, in recent months two elections have taken place in Laos, one to the National Assembly (NA) and one to the Party Congress. Even if they by nature do […]

The Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s Retirement from Politics

Today, the 10th
of March 2011, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama announced that he will transfer his
formal authority to the leader that the exile-Tibetans chose in the upcoming
elections for a Tibetan Prime Minister-in-Exile.

Are the “flower revolutions” in the Middle East and North Africa endangering stability in China? by Christian Göbel

These are fascinating
times, as the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East might well be the
beginning of a “Fourth Wave” of Democracy. The late political scientist Samuel
Huntington once likened clustered incidences of democratizations to “waves”. After
the apparent ebbing out of the “Third Wave”, which between 1974 and the early
1990s swept over Southern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe, the
time might have come for another democratic push. As a political scientist
studying stability and instability of authoritarian regimes, I am extremely

While vacationing in Thailand, we forgot to pay attention by Anya Palm

What just happened in Thailand? Was Thailand not supposed to
be a peaceful vacation paradise with perfect beaches and charming smiles?
Didn’t we just spend a couple of leisurely lazy days looking at stunning
temples and eating delicious street food from the stalls with not a care in the
world? (Yes, we did. In 2009, about 11 million foreigners visited Thailand.)

Thailand coining the definition of non-democracy by Anya Palm

Defining democracy is, if not an impossible, then an
immensely difficult task. However, defining what it is not is easy, very
easy:  Amongst other things, it is NOT democracy
to gather a mass rally and declare that the sitting government must dissolve
within 24 hours, or else…

Nevertheless, this explicit threat is exactly what was
brought to the political table in Thailand’s
capital, Bangkok,
this week. Under a rally. For democracy.