Global leaders, from Naoto Kan to Victor Ponta, have resigned after disasters as a sign of accountability. In contrast, Thailand’s political system often shields leaders from such pressure, even in the face of major crises like the southern floods.

Amnesty International on Monday described as “appalling” a Myanmar court’s verdict which saw two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in jail for breaching the Official Secrets Act during an investigation into a massacre of Rohingya men.