CSO entry and exit in Asia
By: Jeremy Glass
Aug 17, 2022
A democratic civil society contributes to reasoned debate and hold governments accountable for their actions. This week’s graph shows increasing control of civil society organizations (CSOs) entry and exit in several Asian countries between 2016 and 2021.
In Afghanistan the new Taliban leadership is exercising severe repression of civil society. Hong Kong has come under growing influence from the Beijing government and its repression, in defiance of the one country two systems principle. Sri Lanka’s recent decrease in civil liberties culminated in a popular upheaval this year. India is among the top 10 autocratizers in the 2022 democracy report, and Myanmar experienced a military coup in early 2021. All these countries have increased control of CSO activity, which may accelerate autocratization.
