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[Travel] What's the most oppressive regime you've ever visited?



marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
3,898
What's the most oppressive regime you've ever visited, and were you personally affected by the oppression?

Were you able to turn a blind eye to the oppression and just enjoy the place as a holiday paradise?

Did you go somewhere specifically to experience the cultural aspect of the oppressive regime?

Did you personally become a victim or a target of that oppression?

Or did you go there through duty?
 






Kalimantan Gull

Well-known member
Aug 13, 2003
12,898
Central Borneo / the Lizard
The US maybe? Singapore?

Vietnam tried to be oppressive but it was a bit of a joke really, they'd come and stare at you and you'd look sheepish and then they'd drive off and we'd carry on enjoying our curfew-breaking pints in the bar.

Malawi back in the '90's perhaps when they made men cut their hair and you had to hide certain books at the border - although the country itself was extremely chilled.

Never gone somewhere famous for its oppression for good reason
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,369
West west west Sussex
East Sussex.
 








Eeyore

Lord Donkey of Queen's Park
NSC Patreon
Apr 5, 2014
23,379
West Midlands. Most away days in the early 90s. Before the human right for law abiding away fans to be left in peace was passed onto the policing units.
 




nicko31

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2010
17,522
Gods country fortnightly
Has to be Burma (early 90's), slaves of women building roads with their bare hands. Just tried to put as much hard currency into local people as possible, though the minimum requirement of FEC purchase (foreign exchange certificates) could not be avoided, this went straight to the junta.

A humbling and memorable experience, albeit quite restricted where you could travel
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Jul 23, 2003
33,818
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
What's the most oppressive regime you've ever visited, and were you personally affected by the oppression?

Probably China for me.

Were you able to turn a blind eye to the oppression and just enjoy the place as a holiday paradise?

It wasn't a holiday paradise, it was visa runs from Taiwan. Mostly to Hong Kong as you couldn't get to the mainland direct from Taipei in those days. Spent a day on the mainland on one of the trips though. Not enough time to "feel" the oppression other than the very limited internet access. Just enjoyed food and seeing more of the area

Did you go somewhere specifically to experience the cultural aspect of the oppressive regime?

Did you personally become a victim or a target of that oppression?

No and no.

Or did you go there through duty?

Only duty in that I was working in Taiwan and I had to leave and update my visa and alien registration card in Honkers.

Taiwan was probably the closest I've come to seeing the effects of an oppressive regime though. It was a democracy when we were there but it had previously been a military dictatorship. There were loud speakers everywhere and occasionally they would blurt out very loud Public Service Announcements (somethimes at 8am on a Sunday after a long night's drinking :rant: ). Mandarin is tonal and, over a loud halier it just sounds like they want to shoot you. However, we once asked one of our translators what it was saying and she said they were reminding people to wear a coat as the weather forecast was a bit chilly. The coldest it ever got while I was there was 10 degrees C one night.
 


knocky1

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2010
12,946
Syria. Not affected directly by the oppression but could sense it. Visiting Homs a year after Assad senior had killed 10,000 in the early 90's was not a happy experience.
Close second Saudi Arabia. Was able to live a good life partying and enjoying the freedom of the desert.
Pinochet's Chile was personally fine but the fear was evident in the people.
 








Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,369
West west west Sussex
Wait till the Locals Only Republic of Withdean declares independance shortly after the start of May......

Shirley though being about to tow it away and leave it somewhere else would be a win for everyone?
 






Tooting Gull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,033
Unfortunately it has become Turkey, although have also been to China and agree with most of the above.

What is going on in Turkey is terrible, and it shames the rest of the world that because it is such a strategically important country, not least with a border to Syria, Erdogan is largely getting away with it.

A 'coup attempt' that was, let's say, very convenient, gave him the licence to sack and imprison tens of thousands of independent professionals including civil servants and the judiciary, and brand anyone who disagrees with him (especially journalists) a terrorist and chuck them in jail too.
 


Thunder Bolt

Ordinary Supporter
Belfast 1968. I'd made friends with another Wren whilst in Plymouth, who had since got married and invited me over. It was just one year before the troubles started and the atmosphere was tangible.
 


Not Andy Naylor

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2007
8,787
Seven Dials
Communist Poland. Almost arrested for not having my ticket validated on a Warsaw tram.
 




Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,104
The democratic and free EU
Vietnam tried to be oppressive but it was a bit of a joke really, they'd come and stare at you and you'd look sheepish and then they'd drive off and we'd carry on enjoying our curfew-breaking pints in the bar.

Don't know if it's changed, but it used to be dead easy to spot (and avoid) the government spies following you around in Vietnam: they were the only ones dressed in patent leather black shoes, while every 'normal person' wore flip-flops... Stood out like beacons.
 


Tooting Gull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,033
Communist Poland. Almost arrested for not having my ticket validated on a Warsaw tram.

At least the tram wasn't cancelled...'those Commies, at least the trams ran on time...'
 



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