There are all sorts of rules everywhere. No country is exempt from them. However, there is a fine line between discipline and oppression, applying only the appropriate penalty and amount of regulation, and then discipline. And much of that generates oppression. This selection highlights the 10 most rigid countries in the world. See also the countries with the most terrible death sentences in the world. Source: localbusinessexplorer.com
10. NORTH KOREA
The Hermit Reign is also the last bastion of true communism in the world. You will be surprised to know that they allow tourists to enter a country like this, with the exception of Americans and South Koreans. So what is forbidden in North Korea? First and foremost is to speak out against the government, of course. Only a few people, belonging to the dominant elite, have access to the Internet, but this is also limited and heavily monitored and has no access to the outside world. Native North Koreans can not stay up late on the streets, they have to present a reason to be somewhere in a certain time. Offenses are punishable by period in a forced labor camp.
9. IRAN
Ruled by a legal system based on Sharia law since the 1979 revolution, Iran has established rigid social and even personal restrictions. Citizens can not speak out against government, can not protest on the streets, or even participate in social media sites like Facebook, Youtube and even Gmail.
8. SYRIA
Since the protest against Assad began in March 2011, the Syrian government turned off the phones, cell phone coverage, limited access on the Internet, and went further, have managed to invade social media sites of “anti-regime” individuals. The government has banned independent news coverage and barriers for foreign journalists to enter the country.
7. ERITREA
While the population is a mixture of Christians and Muslims, with Christians becoming a slight majority, the laws on freedom of worship are draconian. The regime of President Isaias Afewerki, who has been in power since 1993, also holds tight control over the media. All Internet service providers must register with a government-controlled company.
6. EQUATORIAL GUINEA
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo approves only state-run TV stations and radio stations. Normally, foreigners are not well received in the country and visas are rejected without explanation. Citizens of the country are not allowed to read literature from abroad, even discouraged from reading in general.
5. SAUDI ARABIA
Once closed to the outside world for centuries, Saudi Arabia has joined the modern world, but it seems that some traditions and beliefs are still difficult to shake. The kingdom has some of the world’s most stringent social laws, with most of them applying only to women. They are not allowed to drive. Offenders can be arrested by mutawain or religious police. Already for men, they are not allowed to meet. Alcohol consumption for both sexes is also discouraged.
4. CUBA
It is still a communist country. All news is strictly controlled by the Communist Party. It is possible to browse the Internet, but it is expensive and mostly exclusive to hotels, and much of the online content is blocked. Government critics, most writers, since websites are carefully selected by the authorities, are often arrested and convicted of false accusations. While the party in Cuba is allowed, there are social rules to follow.
3. CHINA
The Chinese economy may be a role model for a developing capitalist economy, but its government is still technically communist. China still tightens its grip on critics and dissidents and controls its citizens’ access to information, whether in the print media, TV, or the Internet. The first thing China does when it wants a problem to die is a blackout of information, those are quickly silenced through arrest or threat of arrest.
2. JAPAN
The Japanese have a feudal history and in some way this has transited into the present. There are levels of authority present in every aspect of Japanese life; from family and friends to school and work, and this is rigidly respected. Japanese labor standards are also among the most stringent in the world. People are expected to give their all to the company. The country has recently opened up its tourism market.
1. SINGAPORE
It is not possible to chew gum in public or face a $ 1000 fine. The person must flush the bathroom or face a $ 150 fine for the first offense. It is not possible to smoke in public too, you will have to follow a dress code in public and you will have to wave to a taxi in a non-scandalous way. Many argue that these little rules, accompanied by the big ones, instill discipline and order in relation to the citizens.
