VIETNAM, Bangladesh, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia—these Asian countries are experiencing a remarkable wave of political upheaval.
Top leaders are being ousted or resigning amid a series of scandals, public protests, and corruption allegations.
This significant regional disruption highlights a period of intense political transformation and escalating demands for governance reforms across Asia.
In March 2024, Vietnam’s President Võ Văn Thưởng was ousted as part of a major anti-corruption campaign, marking the second presidential departure in over a year and reflecting the Communist Party’s efforts to combat corruption and regain public trust.
In July 2024, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned following massive protests triggered by job quota reforms and escalating into broader allegations of corruption, election fraud, and human rights abuses.
On August 14, 2024, Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin due to ethical breaches related to appointing a minister with a criminal background, further destabilizing the country’s political environment.
Soon after, in August 2024, Indonesia’s Airlangga Hartarto resigned as Golkar chairman amidst corruption allegations linked o palm oil export permits, adding to Indonesia’s political turmoil.
Japan is also preparing for a leadership change as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to step down by September 2024. His resignation, driven by scandals and plummeting approval ratings, highlights ongoing challenges for Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Prof. Anna Malindog-Uy, a Filipino political analyst, has observed that the ongoing trend of leadership changes across Asia might signal a deeper, systemic transformation or a form of ‘political cleansing.’
“This wave of political change could signify a deeper, systemic transformation or even a form of “political cleansing,” as nations and their populations seek new directions, transparency, and accountability,” stated Prof. Anna Malindog-Uy, Geopolitical Analyst.
Malindog-Uy also posed the question of who would be the next to fall amid the momentum of change, what the implications of these shifts would be, and how these changes might reshape the future political landscape and governance in these countries for the better.
“The real question now is, who will be the next to fall and face this momentum of change, what will be the implications of these changes and how will these shifts reshape the future political landscape and governance in these countries for the better to say the least?” Malindog-Uy added.
In the Philippines, calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of a former dictator, have intensified in recent months amid serious allegations including drug use, accusations of compromising national sovereignty by allowing the U.S. to use the country as a strategic base in a potential proxy war with China, rampant corruption, and abuse of power.
