State of Democracy in Southeast Asia | Heinrich Böll Foundation

Southeast Asia: Where Democracy is Much More Than A Vote

Welcome to this podcast by the Heinrich Böll Foundation. It is part of the ’State of Democracy in Southeast Asia’ series, and this is your host, Johanna Son. In this episode, we take a look at the elections lined up in the region. Can democratic mechanisms like elections lead to more authoritarian rule? We step back to look at what this trend says about the quality of the democracies in our midst.

By Johanna Son

The State of Democracy in Southeast Asia

Article

While observers of the state of democracy agree that democracy has been in decline in the recent years, its trajectory in the Southeast Asian region has at least shown mixed results. Elections are still treated as the ultimate yardstick for “democracy” in Southeast Asia.

By Deasy Simandjuntak

Contributors

Deasy Simandjuntak

Associate Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute

Johanna Son

Journalist

Unexpected Turns: About Democracy in Southeast Asia

Democracy in Southeast Asia: In the four years since the coup in Thailand, the military junta has consistently consolidated its power. In neighboring Malaysia, on the other hand, the parliamentary elections in May 2018 have seen a democratic change of power for more than 50 years. What do these developments mean for Southeast Asia? A discussion with Bernice Chauly, Author, Malaysia; Prabda Yoon, Author, Thailand; Moderation: Manfred Hornung, Director, Heinrich Böll Foundation Southeast Asia.