Kathmandu, March 7 -- Therecent coup in Burmais a stark reminder that thefuture of democracyin South East and South Asia faces a treacherous path ahead. Although some observers disagree, the world has entered what we might term, the 'New Cold War'.

In this new world order, reminiscent of the Cold War from the 1950s to 1980s, many Asian countries will face the heat of an intense rivalry between two camps. The first one is led by the US and the EU and the other is led by China, often followed by Russia. This rivalry will not only challenge our understanding of, but erode and undermine democracy.

The1 February 2021 coup by Burma's military juntawas condemned by people in different parts of the world, while we also saw civil society represe...