In the past decade, democracy in Southeast Asia has suffered enormous setbacks, with the exception of tiny Timor-Leste.
Countries from the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar to Thailand and Malaysia have regressed from robust democracies or hybrid regimes — essentially semidemocracies — to outright authoritarian rule or to situations in which elections are still held but democratic institutions are deteriorating.
Unfortunately, in the next year, the region’s prospects for democracy look likely to get even worse. Myanmar has captured many of the global headlines. Although not a democracy before Feb. 1, it was at least a country with relatively free and fair elections, and was building some democratic institutions and norms.