Partyforumseasia: Sure, any among the growing number of index comparisons is debatable in details and might contain some flawed information or not doing justice to every special circumstances in some countries surveyed. But the ranking is very telling nevertheless, especially for Southeast Asia, condensed in the following table:

The World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2016
http://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/media/wjp_rule_of_law_index_2016.pdf

Country and Global Ranking:                      

1      Denmark
9     Singapore
18    USA
56    Malaysia
61    Indonesia
64    Thailand
67    Vietnam
70    Philippines
80    China
98     Myanmar
112   Cambodia
??     Laos (not mentioned)

The criteria for the ranking are: Constraints on government powers, Absence of corruption, Open government, Fundamental rights, Regulatory enforcement, Order and security, Civil justice, Informal justice, Criminal justice.

No Comment:
“Government spokesman Phay Sipha, however, was dismissive of the report’s findings, which he characterised as “biased”. “Cambodia’s government doesn’t care about ranking, because [the report] serves its own purpose,” he said. “It’s biased and selective; they do their own research for their own interest.”
The Phnom Penh Post, 20 October  (LINK)