Liberalism By Country - Asia

Asia

Liberalism has or had some tradition in some countries. Nowadays it is a growing current in East Asia, but in many of these countries liberals tend not to use the label liberal.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Russia, and Turkey are listed under Europe.

• In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party is a small liberal democratic party.
• In Burma, the National Council of the Union of Burma, member CALD, is active in exile.
• In Cambodia, the Kanapak Sam Rainsy (Sam Rainsy Party, member CALD, claims to be a more or less liberal party, though some dispute this and consider it a xenophobic party.
• In Hong Kong, the Democratic Party is a liberal party, strongly emphasizing the need of democratic reforms. The Civic Party is also a liberal party. The Liberal Party is often considered to be a conservative, pro-business party.
• In India, liberalism has became a strong current and nowadays it is unrepresented. (Main article: Liberalism in India).
• In Iran, liberalism is forbidden and its members have been killed in the past. The Liberal Democratic Party of Iran is forced to exist in exile (based in Sweden). (Main article: Liberalism in Iran).
• In Israel, Shinui (שינוי, in English Change, member LI) is a strongly anti-clerical, market liberal party without parliamentary representation since 2006. One of its founders, some of its members, and many of its voters joined the new Kadima Party. The center-right Likud calls itself a "National-Liberal Party."
• In Japan, the word liberal is used by the main conservative party, the Liberal Democratic Party (Jiyu Minshuto). The Democratic Party (Minshu-to) is a social-liberal/social-democratic party. The Liberal League (Jiyu Rengo) was considered to be a free-market liberal party. (Main article: Liberalism in Japan).
• In Korea, South, the disbanded Uri Party (Yeollin Uri Dang), the UNDP (Daetonghap Minju Sindang) and the Democratic Party (Min-ju-dang) and Korea Creative Party are left of center liberal parties. (Main article: Liberalism in South Korea).
• In Lebanon, the National Liberal Party (Hizb al-Ahrar al-Watani) is a liberal pro-independence party.
• In Malaysia, the Malaysian People's Movement Party (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, member CALD) seems to be a more or less liberal party.
• In Philippines, the Liberal Party, member LI, CALD) is a center liberal party. (Main article: Liberalism in the Philippines).
• In Singapore, due to the electoral system the liberal Singapore Democratic Party (member CALD) is not represented in parliament. The less intransigent liberal Singapore People's Party is represented in parliament.
• In Sri Lanka, the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka is a small liberal party.
• In Taiwan (Republic of China), the Democratic Progressive Party (Min-chu Chin-pu Tang, member LI, CALD) is a left-of-center liberal party. The Taiwan Solidarity Union is a progressive-centrist party characterised primarily by its Taiwanese nationalism and derives its membership from both the Chinese Nationalist Party's former moderate and Taiwan-oriented fringe and DPP supporters disgruntled by the party's moderation on the question of Taiwanese sovereignty. Its liberal character is questionable, although it its part of the DPP's left-of-centre and pro-Taiwanese Independence Pan-Green alliance (in contrast with the conservative Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and People First Party.) (Main article: Liberalism in Taiwan).
• In Thailand, the Democratic Party (Pak Prachatipat, a member of CALD) is the liberal party. (Main article: Liberalism in Thailand).