Malaysia, Thailand and Burma are all suffering a backwards slide from the basic standards expected of modern-day representative democracies. The United Malays National Organisation, representing the ethnic Malay majority, has held power since independence in 1957. The problem centres on Najib Razak, the prime minister, who is alleged to have benefited from the disappearance of $3.5bn from a state-owned investment company called 1MDB. General Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the coup’s leader, who styles himself as prime minister, promised reconciliation and an abundance of happiness for the Thai people. The crown prince is said to have been close to Thaksin Shinawatra, the popular, former (elected) prime minister.

Source: The Guardian November 27, 2016 00:06 UTC