THEY WERE - ASIA

2016-2022

He has been largely disliked in the international community due to his controversial policies and rhetoric. He has been widely criticized for his war on drugs, which has been responsible for thousands of deaths at the hands of the police and vigilantes. His language has also been criticized as being derogatory towards women, and his comments about other world leaders have been seen as inappropriate and undiplomatic. His refusal to cooperate with international organizations such as the United Nations and the International Criminal Court has been seen as a sign of disrespect and disregard for the rule of law.

2006-2022

Father of the current president, he was viewed as an authoritarian with a strong cult of personality due to his strict control of political and economic systems. He has been accused of curtailing civil liberties and political freedoms. Turkmenistan is one of the most repressive and isolated countries in the world, with tight restrictions on access to information and media. He has also been accused of using his position to benefit his family. In addition, he is accused of using the state security forces to crack down on political opposition and dissent, with reports of arbitrary detention and torture.

1989-2016

He had a heavy-handed approach to governing Uzbekistan: strict control over the media, suppression of political opposition, and refusal to allow any form of dissent or any form of religious freedom. He was also known for his use of torture and other human rights abuses against those who opposed him. Karimov was also known for his economic policies, which favored the wealthy and powerful, while leaving the majority of the population in poverty.

1994-2011

During his rule over North Korea, he maintained a tight grip on the country's politics and economy, while people lived in poverty. He was known for his extreme control over the media and his harsh punishments for those who opposed him. He also had a largely present cult of personality, with his image being used to promote him and to discourage any opposition. His rule was also marked by human rights abuses, with reports of torture, forced labor, and executions. He his the father of the current North Korea leader, Kim Jong Un. To get a glimpse of understanding, it is worth seeing this about his death.

1979-2003

Oppressive rule and iron grip on Iraq. He seized power in 1979 and declared himself president of Iraq. He had a firm control over all aspects of Iraqi life, from its economy to its army, and the citizens were subject to harsh punishments if they disobeyed his commands. His regime was characterized by a severe racism and brutality, as he sought to squash any opposition to his rule. He also sought to cement his rule by suppressing Iraq’s Shi’ite majority, which made up around 60% of the population. The 1991 Persian Gulf War was triggered when he ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in 1990. 

1971-2000

During his time in office, he implemented a number of policies that limited the rights of the Syrian people. He was known for the use of torture and imprisonment of political opponents. He also used the military to suppress any dissent or opposition.

He had a strong support of the Ba'ath Party, which was a socialist party that was in power during his reign. He was also accused of being involved in the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Lebanon. And when the Muslim Brotherhood mounted a rebellion in Hama in 1982, Assad ruthlessly suppressed it at a cost of some 20,000 lives and the near destruction of the city. In addition, he had a strong relationship with the Soviet Union, which provided him with military and economic support. He was the father of the current President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. 

1968-1998

He was a dictator in the most classic sense of the word. He rose to power after a period of political unrest and a coup d'état that placed him in charge of the country. He severely limited political opposition and freedom of speech. He directed a purge of communists and leftists in public life, and a wide massacre of communists throughout the country, in which hundreds of thousands were killed. He was also known to use government funds to enrich his own family, and his cronies. He used his control over the media and various forms of propaganda to maintain his grip on power. He was eventually forced to resign in 1998 due to the immense public pressure and the economic crisis caused by the Asian financial crisis.

In 2024, his former son-in-law and collaborator Prabowo Subianto likely won the presidential election.

1948-1994

This autocratic leader was famous for his aggressive foreign policy and for his personality cult, which portrays him as an all-powerful leader. He was an ideologue and he adopted a foreign policy of extreme nationalism, which sought to promote the North Korean state as a strong and independent power. He ignited the Korean War in 1950 with the invasion of South Korea. Kim Il Sung's rule is remembered for its human rights abuses, poverty, and political repression. He was the grandfather of the current North Korea leader, Kim Jong Un.

1926-1989

The international community has long held negative views of Emperor Hirohito, who reigned during World War II. The primary reasons for this are his role in the Japanese war effort, his refusal to accept responsibility for war crimes, and his continued insistence on Japan's divine right to rule. During the war, he was seen as a figurehead for a militaristic government and as an enabler of atrocities committed in the name of Japanese imperialism. The Allies frequently depicted Hirohito to equate with Hitler and Mussolini as the three Axis dictators. He sparked international outrage when he was allowed to remain on the throne after Japan's surrender, as it was seen as a sign of disrespect for the millions of lives lost during the war. 

The extent of his responsibility is still disputed today.

1965-1986

Human rights abuses, torture, summary executions, corruption, and authoritarian leadership. He declared martial law in 1972 and used it to impose an increasingly oppressive regime. He disregarded democratic principles by suspending the Constitution, censoring the media, and limiting freedom of speech and of the press. He was a strong proponent of the political ideology known as "Marcosism" which was characterized by a centralized government, a stranglehold on the economy, and a reliance on the military to maintain control. He also used his power to enrich himself and his associates through corrupt practices - it has been proven that he stole billions from his people. His wife Imelda is famous for her collection of 3000 pairs of shoes. Despite this, their son Bong Bong was elected as president of the Philippines in 2022. 

1960-1986

Leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party during the Vietnam War (after Ho Chi Minh died in 1969), his brutal actions resulted in mass emigration from the country. An estimated two million people left Vietnam, around 800,000 of them were classified as Boat People. The United Nations estimates that up to 400,000 boat people died at sea. He was known for his harsh punishments of dissidents, for his willingness to use violence to achieve his goals and for his refusal to negociate.

1963-1981

The leader of the Khmer Rouge is remembered for what he inflicted on his own people during his time in power. Between 1975 and 1979, an estimated 1.5 to 3 million people were killed under his rule, making it one of the most brutal and devastating genocides in modern history. Pol Pot's forces were responsible for a range of human rights violations, including forced labor, torture, and mass executions. Those who were perceived as enemies of the state were often tortured, publicly humiliated, and even killed. He banned any form of intellectualism and tried to suppress any kind of religious practice. He studied in France in 1949 and became active in the Communist party at that moment. His name comes from the french "Politique potentielle", which means "potential politician".

1943-1976

Known for holding a very grim record: his tenure as Chairman of the Communist Party of China has the most incidences of excess mortality in human history. Through executions, purges, and forced labor, an estimated 70 million people died. He is also known for developing a cult of personality where his image was worshiped and books of his quotations were mass produced.

1928-1949 (China)

1949-1975 (Taiwan)

He was a Chinese political and military leader. During his tenure as leader of the Republic of China, he was responsible for numerous campaigns against Chinese communists, which led to the deaths of many people. Estimates vary, but some sources estimate that he was responsible for the deaths of between 200,000 and 1.5 million people in China. He was also known for his harsh crackdowns on suspected dissidents and his violent tactics against political opponents.