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

[Yes Chef]

I spent quite a while in Indonesia during the time of "President" (Dictator really) Suharto, and it was true that most people on the surface (probably out of fear) claimed to have blind faith in the ruling Golkar party. But you could always find a few who would tell you what they really thought about the "korupsi" that was rife throughout the system. One guy gave me quite a detailed price list (long since forgotten) about how much it cost to buy yourself a government job or get someone killed...

The only place you could sense real fear and oppression, however, was in East Timor, which was then still under illegal Indonesian occupation. A few people there started to talk to us on occasion, but were always on edge and quick to disappear at the slightest sign of a problem. But even then, Dili was really just a sleepy little laid-back fishing port (or so it appeared to an outsider - I'm sure the people living there were having a shit time).

In reference to your point about international news coverage. My wife and I were two of only about 6 foreigners who were in Dili during the first anniversary of the "Santa Cruz massacre". It did make us laugh when we listened to the BBC World Service reporting the anniversary on the radio. The reporter was banging on about the military being posted on every street corner in Dili and tensions running high - yet he was filing his report from 2,000km away in his hotel bar in Jakarta. There were military about, but only a handful and no more so than any other day.

Moreover, most of said military were originally from Bali and a pretty mild bunch. I found this out when we got the bus back to West Timor, and at a roadblock checkpoint on the edge of Dili one of them demanded to see the 'surat jalan' (travel permit) that we didn't have. I just looked him in the eye and told him we didn't need one. I've still got no idea whether that was true or not, but clearly he didn't know either, as instead of arresting us he just went 'er, OK' and proceeded to ask us about how much we'd enjoyed his home island...

Thanks for the interesting insights. I was there during the Surahto era, as a fairly vacuous 20 year old, island hopping on the old Pelni lines.

 

[Colonel Angus]

Whole Foods.

 

[Saunders]

The Croatian part of Yugoslavia in the late 70;s early 80's. They had bizzare currency laws to keep their currency inflated which forced you to exchange a certain amount and you werent allowed to take back hardly any. As tourists we werent allowed free travel only to set tourist sites and they much preferred that to be a tour excursion booking rather than you drive there yourself. The airport (Split) was a military airport so high security and MiGs on the side of the runway. One of our translator tour guides told us she was getting the shit out of there as soon as she could (why she learnt English) because as soon as Tito died/got deposed the place would be a war zone.

It was a lovely holiday though just these incidents made you do double takes at times.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

My former daughter-in-law’s!

 

[Mayonaise]

Croydon!

 

[Cian]

Definitely not as oppressive as it was, or officially in any way but pre-EU Slovakia was probably the worst I've had now. Police going out of their way to harrass anyone who didn't look like a generic downtrodded worker drone. Was actually worse in intensity (but much less frequent) out in the countryside - the rural police were all on power trips. "Papers Please" attitude from anyone in authority, everywhere.

Been back since and free movement and better economic conditions seem to have worked wonders.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Manchester. Full of oppressed northerners with chips on their shoulders (cue witty remarks) and instant antagonism to us scummy southerners.

 

[The Clamp]

Belfast throughout the late 70's, 80's and to some extent the 90's. It's a great place now though.

I didn't like the bus station in Croatia, scary place but the rest of the country is fine.

Dubai had the capacity to be very oppressive but I didn't see much of that when I was there.

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

I once hid in the basement of a hotel in Burundi with some opposition politicians.

 

[Taybha]

Fawcett Maths frankie ingham

 

[maffew]

Soviet Russia

Being arrested by the KGB didn't help make things any easier - the most terrifying experience of my life

Ooh pray tell more! Or are you sworn to secrecy?

 

[maffew]

Egypt in the 90s. Went round the whole country pretty much for a month. We weren't allowed to travel far without a police escort, locals needed a license to talk to foreigners / tourists. police and locals thought they were doing a good deed for us by giving kids who begged a beating and got shirty when we wouldn't give them tips/baksheesh for the favour. Chopping off your trigger finger was rife such was the fear of military service. Stupid guy we met on the way back was lucky not to get punished at Cairo airport because he thought the sign saying drug smugglers will be stoned sign hilarious

 

[Trufflehound]

Thanks for the interesting insights. I was there during the Surahto era, as a fairly vacuous 20 year old, island hopping on the old Pelni lines.

Ah yes, fond memories of Pelni. That was how we got into East Timor (overnight boat from Kupang), as we'd heard that all foreigners trying to get there by bus were being taken off and turned back at the West/East Timor border. No such checks at the port - we just walked down the gangplank.

 

[Gwylan]

You can't leave it like that!

What on earth were the circumstances around that?

The KGB got involved whenever there was a crime involving westerners - they weren't just for spies.

I was accused of beating up and robbing a Soviet citizen. The police grabbed me at my hotel, handed me over to the KGB and I was then taken to a grim looking building and to a small room that seemed to be about 100 feet down (but probably wasn't). I then stayed there for an hour or so while they waited for an interpreter to turn up.

I was terrified because they wouldn't tell me what I was being accused of. I had actually broken the law because the previous night, I'd been drinking with this Russian guy who'd missed his last train home so slept on the sofa in my room (which was highly illegal). I didn't want to get that guy into trouble so I was trying to think of a story.

Eventually, the interpreter turned up and they started asking what I'd been doing the night before. While I was stalling, there was a knock on door and a bloke with a battered face walked in.He looked at me, shook his head and said "Nyet". After the KGB realised that I wasn't the guy they wanted, they immediately became very apologetic and took me back to my hotel. I needed several vodkas to recover from that.