Many Asian countries have believed in
communist principles. The Asian situation become ripe for a revolution aimed at establishing a socialist system in the early 20th century. The communist revolution in Asia had three characteristics. The first was the nationalistic fervor associated with the fight to resist oppressive western colonizers. The second one was the fight against agricultural oppression. Vast tracts of land were owned by only a few. This drove many people to join the revolutionary communist movement. Many believed that an unjust system can be corrected under a communist ideology. The third was the “division” of the world between the Soviet Union and the United States after the Second World War. This signaled meddling in the affairs of Asian nations by the two superpowers, which nurtured a desire to expand their spheres of influence in Asia.
Communist
governments in Asia implemented certain programs on agrarian reform,
Government ownership of major industries, and free education, health services, housing, and other social services.
Despite the noble objectives of the communist ideology, the communist governments in Asia still failed. Widespread violations of human rights owing to government restrictions on free expression and on the media are evident. Citizens have become mere followers of what their governments tell them. Communist states have remained impoverished and have lagged behind nations run under a capitalist system. Instead of equal opportunities for wealth, it became equal experiences of destitution under communist government. All these have led several communist governments in Asia to loosen a little. Economies have gradually bee opened to capitalism. This is what has been happening in China and Vietnam, which have experienced economic development after adopting the capitalist system.