Zhang was unpopular for his heavy-handed rule and in particular his heavy taxation.

If he had despised the heavy-handed Soviet rule, he came to loathe the West's "smug hedonism" in almost equal measure.

Later, Assad used the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood to justify his heavy-handed rule.

However, Sylvester exacerbated divisions with his heavy-handed rule of the church, and many Melkites chose to acknowledge Cyril VI as patriarch instead.

Some of the worst fears about heavy-handed Chinese rule over Hong Kong have so far not come to pass.

Abashidze attracted some criticism for his heavy-handed rule, which was often described as feudal.

Sylvester exacerbated divisions with his heavy-handed rule of the church as many Melkites acknowledged Cyril's claim to the patriarchal throne.

The group's detractors say it imposes heavy-handed rules that codify a nostalgic Disney version of small-town America.

Uighurs, who mostly live in Xinjiang Province in western China, have long chafed under heavy-handed rule from Beijing and have pressed for more autonomy.

The heavy-handed rule of Alexander Lukashenko gags the opposition, convicting its leaders and sending them to prison and to what are called 'penal colonies'.