States in Southeast Asia’s Mekong region seem to have learnt at least one lesson from the late Lee Kuan Yew: how to stage-manage electoral democracy.

As the death of Singapore’s founding father this week triggers debate over his legacy, authorities in Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia are busy crafting or reinforcing laws aimed at quelling social pressures that threaten their control.

The growing institutionalised autocracy is likely to increase tensions in the countries wound around the storied Mekong river, which are already being reshaped by industrialisation, urbanisation and economic internationalisation. The trend presents a growing problem for western countries that claim support for human rights but are seeking new strategic alliances, markets and investment destinations in the Mekong.