 1.
Bangladesh
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 11.
Myanmar |
Officially Republic
Reality Democratic institutions have their hands full
dealing with one of the world's poorest nations. Government
is often deadlocked between the two main parties who hate
each other.
Anti-corruption rating D
Unsurprisingly, graft is common, though efforts are being
made to reduce the kind of palm-greasing abhorred by investors.
Rights rating C
It's a tough life between occasionally heavy-handed police
and party-linked mobs. But poverty is the greatest rights
violator. |
Officially Republic
Reality The country is run by a small clique of obdurate,
capricious generals.
Anti-corruption rating D
Bribes are virtually written in to project cost assessments.
Rights rating F
Allegations of forced labor persist. Aung San Suu Kyi's 1990
election victory continues to be ignored by the regime.
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 2.
Brunei
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 12.
North Korea |
Officially Constitutional sultanate
Reality The oil-producing state is dominated by the
Sultan, who is PM, finance minister and defense minister,
and his family.
Anti-corruption rating B
When the Sultan is the state, who is there to corrupt? Well,
just ask Prince Jefri.
Rights rating B
Though rule-bound and with limited political rights, Bruneians
have economic freedoms their neighbors can only dream about.
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Officially
People's republic
Reality A one-man communist dictatorship.
Anti-corruption
rating ?!
Bribe someone for what? But petty graft is said to be rampant
in border areas where ethnic-Korean Chinese can travel.
Rights
rating F
Pyongyang
diverts over 9% of GDP to military programs, while a food
crisis persists in which 16% of children under seven are acutely
malnourished. |
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 13.
Pakistan |
Officially Constitutional monarchy and multiparty
democracy
Reality Ruled by PM Hun Sen's strong-arm decree.
Anti-corruption rating D-
Cambodia is nearing parity with Myanmar as an Asian manufacturing
and transport hub for illicit drugs. Guns still overrule laws.
Rights rating C-
Still-at-large Khmer Rouge leaders, garment sweat shops, arbitrary
detentions. Did someone say things had improved? |
Officially
Islamic republic
Reality Chaos under an elected government now replaced
by chaos under a military regime.
Anti-corruption rating D
Ranks among the world's most corrupt, with a few landed families
dominating the economy.
Rights rating C
Institutional discrimination persists against women and religious
minorities. Some parts of the country are virtually run by
mobs or local militias. |
 4.
China
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 14.
Philippines |
Officially
People's republic
Reality Old-style communist oligarchy endeavoring to
negotiate a path between political authoritarianism and free
market reform.
Anti-corruption rating D
Money talks in China, despite high-profile crackdowns on corruption.
Now, government investment in poor western regions has created
new frontiers for graft.
Rights rating C-
Abuses run the whole gamut. Only time will tell if greater
economic freedoms will generate political reform.
|
Officially
Republic
Reality Free and fair elections brought a former movie
star with a Elvis hair-do to the role of commander-in-chief.
Anti-corruption rating C
President Joseph Estrada's tough talk doesn't seem to have
curbed Manila's culture of cronyism.
Rights rating B+
A free-wheeling democracy, but widespread poverty and a raging
military conflict in the Muslim-dominated south undermine
people's welfare. |
 5.
Hong Kong
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 15.
Singapore |
Officially
Special administrative region of China
Reality Beijing hasn't interfered, but the virtually
hand-picked chief executive is too slavish to need overt guidance.
Anti-corruption rating B+
Sure, big business owns the place, but outright graft is rare.
Rights rating B+
Laissez faire rules, but is that the sound of judicial and
academic freedoms being eroded? |
Officially
Republic
Reality The ruling People's Action Party always knows
best.
Anti-corruption rating A
Rigid controls and top-down transparency make Singapore Asia's
least sleazy business environment.
Rights rating B
Though no Myanmar, political opponents can expect a summons
should their protests hit a nerve. |
 6.
India
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 16.
South Korea |
Officially
Federal republic
Reality Run by a diverse coalition government dominated
by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. As democratic
as a nation of one billion can be.
Anti-corruption rating D
Government-private sector corruption is standard in Asia.
But allegedly fixing cricket matches just goes too far.
Rights rating B-
Traditionally tolerant of political diversity and boasts a
famously independent media. Still, half its population lives
in abject poverty, and Hindu extremists weigh upon the minorities.
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Officially
Republic
Reality A democracy, but with parties centered on personalities.
Anti-corruption rating C+
Continual discoveries of official graft are taxing the public's
trust, but at least the dirt is coming out into the open these
days.
Rights rating B+
President Kim Dae Jung agreed to release dozens of long-term
political prisoners following a recent rapprochement with
the North. |
 7.
Indonesia
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 17.
Sri Lanka |
Officially
Republic
Reality Fledgling democracy subject to a maelstrom
of political, religious and ethnic forces.
Anti-corruption rating D-
Despite the investigative heat being turned up on ex-dictator
Suharto, corruption remains endemic throughout the nation.
Rights rating C+
Chaos in Aceh, Ambon and other volatile regions has resulted
in countless deaths, with the military either ineffective
or complicit. |
Officially
Republic
Reality The multiparty democracy is continually bled
by the 17-year-old civil war.
Anti-corruption rating C
Heavy media censorship due to the war undermines a key check
on government management.
Rights rating C
Recent "emergency regulations" granted authorities
expanded powers of arrest. Tamil rebels reportedly use child
soldiers. |
 8.
Japan
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 18.
Taiwan |
Officially
Liberal democracy
Reality After ruling for 44 of the last 45 years, the
entrenched Liberal Democratic Party gerontocracy smells somewhat
past its use-by date.
Anti-corruption rating B+
Influence-peddling officials get headlines, but the real problem
is pervasive mutual back-scratching by business and government.
Rights rating B+
The death penalty, poor prison conditions, sexism and structural
discrimination against minority groups mar an otherwise solid
commitment to human rights. |
Officially
Republic
Reality The not-quite-a-nation looks more independent
than ever after the peaceful transition of power from the
Kuomintang to the Democratic Progressive Party.
Anti-corruption rating C+
The KMT's "black gold" lost to DPP leader Chen Shui-bian,
but it's too early to asses the latter's anti-corruption campaign
pledge.
Rights rating A-
Recently enacted progressive social welfare reforms. |
 9.
Laos
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 19.
Thailand |
Officially
People's republic
Reality Classic hardline communist state dominated
by its larger neighbor, Vietnam.
Anti-corruption rating D
Weak rule of law and the absence of transparency leave Laos
as the basket case of Indochina.
Rights rating D
Media repression and discrimination against the Hmong minority.
|
Officially
Constitutional monarchy/liberal democracy
Reality PM Chuan Leekpai is introducing Thailand to
clean, competent government, but even he is beholden to tainted
allies.
Anti-corruption rating C+
Resolve in driving out vote buying is to be commended.
Rights rating B+
Thailand has admitted thousands of asylum-seekers in the past
year. But hill tribes complain of continued discrimination. |
 10.
Malaysia
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 20.
Vietnam |
|
Officially
Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy
Reality Led since independence by UMNO, which has
been dominated for the past 19 years by PM Mahathir Mohamad.
Anti-corruption rating C+
Dr. M says everybody is his crony, but some seem to be more
equal than others.
Rights rating C
Life is fine for most, but the Inter-nal Security Act, providing
for detention without trial, is there just in case.
|
Officially People's republic
Reality The communist gerontocracy may want to join
the modern world of its ASEAN neighbors, but it doesn't want
to loosen its grip.
Anti-corruption rating D
Persistent official graft has resulted in Vietnam's lowest
foreign investment levels in a decade.
Rights rating D
It's a communist dictatorship — what do you expect? Rights
monitors are consistently denied entry. |
3.
Cambodia