Abstract
This chapter explains the way Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam underwent transitions from state socialism following the Cold War, and why this has involved only very limited economic and political liberalisation. It shows that the privatisation of public land, natural resources and state-owned enterprises and the opening of closed economies to foreign investment provided opportunities for elite coalitions of state, business and military actors to sustain authoritarian regimes. Thanks to Cold War legacies and ongoing authoritarian repression, civil society has proved unable to effectively contest this. Where protests have occurred, they have been relatively feeble, with slogans recalling the nationalist rhetoric of the past. However, widening inequality, ongoing disruptive infrastructure schemes, and a burgeoning young population are long-term trends that portend future legitimacy struggles.
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Notes
- 1.
Quotation marks are used because the Stalinist regimes that emerged in Southeast Asia (and elsewhere) bear no resemblance to socialist precepts. For readability the quotation marks are not used hereafter.
- 2.
During the Indochina wars, anti-personnel landmines were placed over large areas.
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Hughes, C. (2020). Transitions from State “Socialism” in Southeast Asia. In: Carroll, T., Hameiri, S., Jones, L. (eds) The Political Economy of Southeast Asia. Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28255-4_4
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