4. Choummaly Sayasone/Bounnhang Vorachith of Laos
Choummaly Sayasone ruled Laos from 2006 to 2016, before stepping down earlier this year. During his ten years, the Asian strong man ruled Laos with an iron grip. All of the country’s radio stations, tv stations, and print press are essentially owned by the government. It should come as no surprise then that the 2016 World Press rankings found Laos to rank only 173 out of 180 countries. Even Cuba and Iran rank higher.
Laos is ruled by a “communist” party and is a one-state country. The government has been accused of engaging in a genocide against the Hmong people within their borders, and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee, relocating to Thailand and elsewhere.
Sayasone gained a reputation as one of the least charismatic world leaders during his time. Unlike say Kim Jong-Un, Sayasone largely stayed out of the spotlight and ruled relatively quietly. That doesn’t mean he’s not guilty of his fair share of crimes, however.
Activists have simply disappeared, with government agents almost certainly behind the abductions. Torture is believed to be common, and people suffering from drug addiction are treated as sub-human. “Rehabilitation” drug centers hold large numbers of people in horrid conditions. In many cases even children are thrown into these centers.
In other cases, officials have been accused of seizing land from peasants and farmers for their own use. Cronyism and corruption is also believed to be widespread, and elections are closed and tightly controlled party affairs. Transparency International considers Laos to be among the most corrupt countries in the world.
Choummaly Sayasone has retired but his successor, Bounnhang Vorachith, appears set to continue with a strong-armed, one-party rule of Laos. Reform has thus far been non-existent. Still, while the government deserves its share of criticism for its human rights abuses, Laos has enjoyed strong economic growth over the past several years.