This book examines democratic struggle, namely resistance to authoritarianism and the potential for democratic revival, across Myanmar, Thailand, and beyond. Focused particularly on Asia, it brings together scholars researching displacement, media, human rights, armed conflict, and foreign policy, pairing in-depth country case studies with comparative regional analysis to trace how democracy erodes and endures under strain.

Organised into three parts, the volume moves from Myanmar's post-coup crises including the 2021 military coup, conflict, and atrocities to Thailand's guided-democracy regime, youth protest movements, and online disinformation, before widening to Laos, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, and the United States. Further chapters offer regional reflections ranging from ASEAN's response to Myanmar to youth movements across Asia.

A timely companion for readers, students, practitioners, and scholars tracking Myanmar, Thailand, and Asia's fight to defend democracy.

Delves into multidimensional democratic struggles in Myanmar and Thailand focusing on law, nationalism, and violence Explores alike yet distinct trajectories of democracy in the neighboring states Understands democracy as a dynamic process that demands a constant protection met with opportunities and obstacles

Autorentext

Catherine Renshaw is Professor and Dean of the School of Law at Western Sydney University. Her research focuses on Southeast Asia, regionalism, human rights, democratisation, and Myanmar. Her recent books include Human Rights and Participatory Politics in Southeast Asia (2019) and Nonsense on Stilts? Rescuing Human Rights in Australia (2019).

**Chosein Yamahata **is Professor of Global and Area Studies at the Graduate School of Policy Studies, Aichi Gakuin University, Japan, specialising in Burma/Myanmar, ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific, democratisation, and human security. He co-edited Youth, Community, and Democracy in India, Myanmar, and Thailand (2025) with Makiko Takeda, published by Palgrave Macmillan.

**Takashi Tsukamoto **is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies at Seinan Gakuin University, Japan. He previously held teaching and administrative roles at Thammasat University, Yamanashi Gakuin University, Meiji University, and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. His research focuses on international and comparative politics in the Asia-Pacific region.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: A Repeating Pattern in Myanmar: Elections, Military Intervention, and Atrocities amid International Silence.- Chapter 2: Between Conflict and Survival: Challenges of Security and Right to Life in Displacement Contexts in Myanmar.- Chapter 3: Deteriorating Freedom, Disrupted Dialogue: Media Ecology in Post-coup Thailand's Guided Democracy Regime.- Chapter 4: Navigating Digital Totalitarianism: Strategies of Myanmar's Independent Media in Promoting Democracy.- Chapter 5: Combating Social Media Disinformation in a Generative AI Media Landscape.- Chapter 6: An American Dream or An American Nightmare? Reflecting on America's Unhealed History in the Age of Black Lives Matter.- Chapter 7: Divides that Cannot be Bridged: The Limits of Multiculturalism in Southern Thailand.- Chapter 8: Transformations in the Deep South of Thailand: Violence, Nationalism and Thaksin Shinawatra.- Chapter 8: Voices Unveiled and Youth Rising: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Youth in South/Southeast Asia.- Chapter 9: Voices Unveiled and Youth Rising: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Youth in South/Southeast Asia.- Chapter 10: The Development and Dynamics of Thai Youth Movements: The 2020 White Ribbons and the 2021 Din Daeng.- Chapter 11: Gender Parity in Laos: Initiatives and Challenges in Advancing Women's Rights in Transition.- Chapter 12: Educating for Justice in Revolutionary Burma: Human Rights and Peace Pedagogy in Post-Coup Myanmar from a Mixed-Methods Study.- Chapter 13: Patterns of Myanmar's Foreign Policy: The Case of Omnibalancing in Changing Environment.- Chapter 14: Clashes over Territorial Control among Ethnic Armed Organizations in Myanmar: Power, Identity and Geography over Principles?.- Chapter 15: Domestic Factors in Japan's and South Korea's Democracy Promotion: Responses to Myanmar Before and After the February Coup.- Chapter 16: Voices Unveiled and Youth Rising: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Youth in South/Southeast Asia.- Chapter 17: A Comparative Analysis of Myanmar and Mongolia.- Chapter 18: Southeast Asian Public Opinion on ASEAN's Reaction to Myanmar's Military Takeover.