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Look beyond the surface

Look beyond the surface

Below, you will find additional information about how dictators exploit their countries’ natural beauty and cultural heritage to boost tourism and gloss over their human rights violations. They invest billions in PR firms and influencers to craft marketing campaigns aimed at reshaping public perception through social media.

Together, we can show the world what’s actually taking place behind the filter.

Cuba, a Caribbean island just 100 miles from Florida, boasts rich culture and beautiful beaches, and is known for cigars, rum, and classic cars. Yet, it is also the oldest surviving dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere after the end of the Cold War. Frozen in time since the 1950s, its architecture and cars are not just quaint relics but symbols of an oppressive regime that stifles innovation. While tourists may marvel at these picturesque scenes, they are hallmarks of failed economic policies and political repression. Conformity to the ruling party’s ideology is mandatory, with any form of dissent resulting in detention, exile, or even death. Behind its tropical charm, Cuba conceals a darker reality of totalitarian control and stifled progress.

Facts

65
years under Communist rule
8
people have been killed by the regime since 1959
1,887
people have been arrested for peacefully protesting
3
Cubans have escaped to the US in since 1959

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HRF Succeeds in Joint UN Petition: Cuba Condemned for Detention of Artists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara & Hamlet Lavastida
Report: Human Trafficking in Cuba’s Medical Missions
Report: Sex Trafficking in Cuba

Thailand, renowned for its food, culture, adventure, and stunning scenery, lures tourists with Pattaya’s beaches, Phi Phi Islands, Bangkok’s cityscape, and the serenity of Chiang Mai. However, beyond the tourist facade, Thailand grapples with political upheavals, including military-backed coups and limited civic space. A 2014 coup led to a junta suppressing dissent and, five years later, a transition to a civilian-led government with former coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister. Despite its constitutional monarchy, the military’s historical ties to the monarchy allow it a central role, stifling democracy advocates amid the seemingly idyllic tourist experience.

Facts

286
children have been prosecuted for having protested for democracy in July 2020
92
people were forcibly disappeared between 1980 and 2022
262
people have been charged under royal defamation laws in the last three years
50
years in prison for posting on social media

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Champion of the Forgotten: The Overlooked Dictatorships of Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos
Thailand Election: A New Beginning or Political Déjà Vu?
Women at the Forefront of Democracy: Tackling the Military Regime in Thailand

Rwanda, a small, landlocked country in Africa’s Great Lakes region, is celebrated for its Switzerland-like landscapes, endangered mountain gorillas, and its capital, Kigali’s, status as a premier international conference hub. Visits to memorial sites commemorating the 1994 Rwandan Genocide present a skewed history, masking the regime’s role in the atrocities. Rwandans face repression for speaking against the regime and live in fear and poverty, with many groups marginalized, while President Paul Kagame’s global acclaim contrasts starkly with the reality of their lives, as Western dollars enrich the ruling elite.

Facts

98
of approval votes claimed by the dictator
939
days of imprisonment for “Hotel Rwanda” hero
4
global sports teams champion the Rwandan regime
5,000
homeless men and children forcibly sent to prison island

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HRF submitted a petition to the UNWGAD for 9 Rwandans who were imprisoned in 2021 for attending a CANVAS online training.
Karim Zidan’s op-ed in The Guardian, “The NBA’s alignment with Rwanda’s repressive leader was headscratching”
Carine Kanimba & John Scott-Railton to Testify Before U.S. Congress

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven Emirates, is renowned for the opulence and glamor of Dubai, featuring a bustling downtown, glittering beaches, and superlatives like the world’s tallest tower and largest mall. Beneath these accolades lies one of the world’s most repressive monarchies. The regime employs spyware, mass trials, and severe punishments to suppress journalists and activists. Migrant workers, who are the backbone of the UAE’s development, face exploitation, passport confiscation, wage theft, coerced work, and unsafe living conditions upon arrival.

Facts

88
of the UAE’s population is comprised of migrant workers
15
year sentence for LGBTQI+ people
84
dissidents charged in a mass trial
3.2
women live under brutal oppression

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Igniting the Truth Against Authoritarian Sportswashing