We are sharing a short video commentary on the context between authoritarianism and democracy in three Asian countries, which are facing unprecedented struggles between the forces which represented authoritarianism of various forms and those of the opposition who are making extraordinary efforts to transform their societies into democracies based on the rule of law and protection of human rights. All three countries are facing critical situations.
Myanmar where great hopes were generated for a peaceful transition for democracy from a long entrenched military rule is now in deep crisis. The country’s military has resisted all attempts of reforms. It has jailed the leader of democratic forces Aung San Suu Kyi who was backed by the entirety of people of Myanmar, together with thousands of others who were fighting for democracy. As a result, people’s struggle had turned into an armed resistance against the military rule, resulting into a situation of a civil war. As a consequence, lives are lost in a large scale, and properties and national resources are also destroyed.
A different type of situation prevails in Bangladesh where the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Hasina was overthrown by mass uprising led mostly by students. People have lost faith in all traditional leaderships represented by established political parties. By popular demand and outsider to politics, Professor Muhammad Yunus has been brought in by popular demand and is acting as the interim Prime Minister working with a team of persons, attempting to restore democracy and rule of law in Bangladesh. That there is no elected parliament, and what is taking place is an unprecedented historical experiment.
In Sri Lanka, where an authoritarian form of government came to power in 1978, the system that was established remained virtually intact until July 2022, when by way of a mass uprising, people intervened, demanding change. The president resigned and fled the country and the parliament intervened and made a temporary arrangement by way of appointing a president who was an outsider to the ruling party. In September 2024, an election was held, and now a new government has been established through a free and fair election.
In all three countries, the context is between authoritarianism and democracy. The specific issue that has been tested is about the way of which negative impacts created by long periods of authoritarianism could be displaced and be replaced with a democratic form of government.
These issues are discussed in a short video prepared by the Asian Human Rights Commission, and the link to the video is as follows:
