Religious Freedom in Cambodia: Unpacking the Rankings

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Coming Soon In Cambodia, positive global rankings for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) often mask underlying structural challenges and growing state control over religious institutions. This affects a diverse range of communities, including rank-and-file monks, Muslims, Christians, and Indigenous Peoples (IPs). From political co-optation of the Buddhist Sangha to the bureaucratic restrictions of minority faiths, the destruction of Indigenous sacred sites, and the strategic use of religion during the Cambodian-Thai border conflict, these mechanisms contribute to profound structural inequality. Religious Freedom in Cambodia: Unpacking the Rankings explores how ambiguously drafted legal provisions and state-aligned administrative practices provide uneven protection…

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Asia Centre’s Summit 2026: Religious Freedom in Asia

Read more about the article Asia Centre’s Summit 2026: Religious Freedom in Asia

The protection of religious freedom remains a critical human rights challenge across Asia. While freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is recognised as a fundamental human right under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, its practice is challenging. Communities across the region continue to face restrictions, discrimination, social hostilities and evolving threats to their ability to freely practice, express or change their religion or beliefs, as well as advocate for their rights to do so. Ensuring meaningful enjoyment and protection of such rights requires strengthened commitments from governments, civil society, faith-based organisations, media and other stakeholders to uphold…

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Principled Caution: How AI Is Used in Public-interest Media in Asia

Read more about the article Principled Caution: How AI Is Used in Public-interest Media in Asia

Download Full Report This report analyses the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within independent and public-interest media across eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. It examines how media organisations engage with AI technologies, mapping current use cases, opportunities and structural constraints. The findings reveal that while AI adoption is currently taking place within public-interest media, it is defined by an approach of “principled caution” where adoption is careful, selective and highly varied. While adoption remains cautious to protect journalistic credibility from risks such as hallucinations and biases, newsrooms are increasingly embracing AI as a powerful…

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Religious Fundamentalism in the Philippines: Women and GSM Advocates Under Catholic Pressure

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Coming Soon In the Philippines, the enduring influence of Catholic fundamentalism and conservative religious networks has constrained civic space and intensified backlash against women and gender and sexual minority (GSM) advocates. This influence is embedded throughout institutions, local patronage and public morality, allowing anti-rights actors to present equality claims as threats to family, faith and social order rather than as democratic needs. A key target of this backlash has been defenders of reproductive rights, gender equality and broader gender justice. Their advocacy is frequently framed as immoral, anti-family or contrary to traditional Catholic values. Religious Fundamentalism in the Philippines: Women…

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Digital Security Training (Asia-Pacific): Two-Year Summary June 2024 – May 2026

Read more about the article Digital Security Training (Asia-Pacific): Two-Year Summary June 2024 – May 2026

The Digital Security Training programme aimed to strengthen digital resilience across the Asia-Pacific region by equipping vulnerable communities with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools required to navigate an increasingly complex digital environment. From June 2024 to May 2026, Asia Centre and its partners delivered 250 Digital Security Training sessions across the region, reaching a total of 9,226 direct and indirect beneficiaries.Over the two-year implementation period, the programme expanded its reach across Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and the wider Asia-Pacific region, engaging a diverse range of participants including civil society organisations, human rights defenders, journalists, educators, youth groups,…

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Asia Centre Trains Over 7,600 in the Asia-Pacific on Digital Security

Read more about the article Asia Centre Trains Over 7,600 in the Asia-Pacific on Digital Security

Asia Centre has implemented a comprehensive series of Digital Security Trainings, both End Beneficiary and Training of Trainers, from June 2025 to May 2026, in the Asia-Pacific region, to strengthen online safety, digital resilience, and trainer capacity among civil society, academia, media, youth, and community stakeholders. Building upon the success of Asia Centre’s partnership with Google during the 2024–2025 Digital Security Training programme, this initiative scaled up efforts to reach high-risk users across the Asia-Pacific region. During 2024-2025, Asia Centre successfully delivered 42 training sessions across 15 countries, engaging 1,225 End Beneficiaries from diverse genders and professional backgrounds. The 2025–2026…

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Religious Fundamentalism in Indonesia: Political Capture and Repression of Gender Rights

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Coming Soon The fall of Indonesia’s New Order regime in 1998 and the resulting democratic transition created new opportunities for political participation and civic engagement. At the same time, it facilitated the re-emergence of political Islam as a powerful force within public life. Over time, and especially since the early 2010s, Islamic organisations, movements and religiously oriented political actors have increasingly shaped electoral politics, public policy and state institutions, contributing to the normalisation of Islamic fundamentalist narratives that oppose gender equality and the rights of women, gender and sexual minorities (WGSM). As a result, WGSM rights advocates have become increasingly…

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Rise in Democracy Organisations in Asia Needs Coordination and Resource Optimisation

Read more about the article Rise in Democracy Organisations in Asia Needs Coordination and Resource Optimisation

In spite of global democratic backsliding, social divisions, AI-induced acceleration of disinformation and the significant drop in international development aid, there is a rise in the number of Asian organisations and networks seeking to advance the cause of democracy. However, to harness this proliferation of democracy promoters in Asia, some of whom are in a hibernation or semi-hibernation mode due to funding cuts and staff layoffs, strategic coordination and optimal resource mobilisation are needed.Asia Centre, a civil society research institute, operates in the heart of this democracy “flux”. From 10 to 11 June 2026, it brought together members of the…

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Asia Centre at EADF 2026: “Democracy is needed to counter polarisation”

Read more about the article Asia Centre at EADF 2026: “Democracy is needed to counter polarisation”

Countering polarisation in Asia requires a firm commitment to democratic principles – pluralism, accountability and non-violent political engagement – to ensure lasting and effective outcomes. In contrast, authoritarian notions of “peace” and “harmony” often suppress dissent, forcibly shut down genuine concerns and deepen divisions - undermining the conditions necessary for genuine social resilience.This was the key message presented by Dr James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre, during the 2026 East Asia Democracy Forum (EADF) on 1 June 2026, as a speaker in the first session “Polarisation and Its Regional Fallout”. During the presentation, Dr Gomez elaborated on this message by…

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Asia Centre Delivers Digital Security Training in Malaysia

Read more about the article Asia Centre Delivers Digital Security Training in Malaysia

Between 17 October 2025 and 23 May 2026, Asia Centre successfully delivered a series of Digital Security Training (DST) sessions in Malaysia, directly engaging a total of 172 participants and end-beneficiaries. This strategic training aimed at strengthening digital resilience, promoting safer online practices, and enhancing awareness of digital threats among university students, lecturers, civil society actors, and grassroots communities. Conducted in collaboration with university partners and community networks, the programme sought to equip participants with practical digital security knowledge and skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex online environment marked by cyberattacks, misinformation, surveillance, scams, and online harassment.The training also…

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