|
Vietnam "There is something of a crisis in human rights abuses in Southeast Asia in general and in Communist Vietnam in particular. According to David M. Kinchen, Editor, Huntington News Network, “hardliners in Vietnam’s politburo in Hanoi are obsessed with punishing, oppressing and even eliminating peoples — such as the Khmer Krom, Montagnards and Hmong Lao, that aligned themselves more than 30 years ago with the United States during the Vietnam War.” John E. Carey, Quoc Te Co Van (February 25, 2007) BBC World News Three activists jailed in Vietnam (10 May 2007)
|
|
Cambodia "After the brutality of the 1970s and the 1980s, and the destruction of the cultural, economic, social and political life of Cambodia, it is only in recent years that reconstruction efforts have begun and some political stability has finally returned to Cambodia. Wikipedia. The politics of Cambodia formally take place, according to the nation's constitution of 1993, in the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic monarchy. The Prime Minister of Cambodia is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system, while the king is the head of state." BBC News Cambodia clamps down on dissident(7 January 2006) Safety by Tales of Asia |
|
|
Laos Laos’ ruling communist party, which came to power after overthrowing the monarchy in 1975, has kept the country in a state of almost complete isolation for many years. A slow integration process was only started in the 1990s. International Press Institute (2005)
|
|
Myanmar "The Union of Myanmar is governed by a military regime." "Myanmar's armed forces is known as the Tatmadaw, which numbers 488,000. The Tatmadaw comprises the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Myanmar ranked twelfth in the world for its number of active troops in service. The military is very influential in the country, with top cabinet and ministry posts held by military officers. Although official figures for Burmese military spending are not available, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in its annual rankings, ranked Myanmar in the top 15 military spenders in the world. The country imports most of its weapons from Russia, Ukraine, China and India." "Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in the world, suffering from decades of stagnation, mismanagement, and isolation. Myanmar’s GDP grows only 2.9% annually -- the lowest rate of economic growth in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Under British administration, Burma was one of the wealthiest countries in Southeast Asia. It was once the world's largest exporter of rice." Wikipedia
|