Asean has seen a resurgence of authoritarian rule in Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. After 50 years of ups and downs in domestic politics and governance, Asean has seen a resurgence of authoritarian practices. Evidently, the three countries on the debit side of Asean's democracy ledger are Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. But Mr Thaksin's election victories were at the expense of the nascent democratic institutions. The more democratic Asean becomes, the more it will be able to promote relations with Western countries.

Source: Bangkok Post August 04, 2017 23:37 UTC