Earlier this month, the retired general who led a military coup in Thailand five years ago, Prayuth Chan-ocha, was formally confirmed as prime minister by King Vajiralongkorn, after parliament unsurprisingly voted to hand the position to the former coup leader. Repression will not be Prayuth’s only card.

The massive protests against a controversial extradition bill that have rocked Hong Kong in recent days “cannot be what Beijing wanted,” according to commentator Yi-Zheng Lian. The simmering anger in Hong Kong poses a major headache for China’s leaders as they attempt to extend control over the territory.