ABSTRACT
In Asia, authoritarianism is reappearing or deepening after several decades of increased political liberalization in many countries. This chapter crafts a brief roadmap to understanding the challenges facing civil society under such conditions. It discusses the ‘horizontal’ challenges from society itself and the ‘vertical’ challenge from repressive states as well as civil society’s relationship with democracy. This chapter also introduces and explicates four recurring themes that the book as a whole addresses: (1) Actions under Political Repression, (2) Transitions to Democracy, (3) Uncivil Society, and (4) Political Capture and Legal Control. It concludes with brief overviews of each of the book’s subsequent chapters.
