Legal and non-legal measures: Are these approaches effective to tackle disinformation in Indonesia
Indonesia’s media landscape is growing and is becoming chaotic with a wide range of actors involved. What are the key issues surrounding disinformation in Indonesia? What are legal and non-legal approaches taken by the Indonesian government to counter this uncontrollable information flow? Hear from an Indonesian journalist with nearly 40 years of experience, Endy Bayuni, a former Chief Editor of The Jakarta Post and a co-founder and Executive Director of the International Association of Religion Journalists with nearly 4 decades of experience in reporting. In 2020, he became a member of Facebook’s Oversight Board. This podcast episode was recorded on 26 September 2022 as part of the “Media Freedom in Southeast Asia” series hosted by Asia Centre in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Southeast and East Asia.
POFMA and FICA: How are these two laws impacting independent media outlets in Singapore
Singapore’s parliament has passed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) and the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act (FICA). How are these two laws impacting independent media outlets in Singapore? Hear from an Independent Journalist and Social Activist, Kirsten Han. Kirsten Han is an Independent Journalist and Social Activist. She is also a member of the Transformative Justice Collective and currently runs We, The Citizens, a newsletter which covers issues in Singapore from a rights-based perspective. Subscribe to We, The Citizens. This podcast episode was recorded on 28 September 2022 as part of the “Media Freedom in Southeast Asia” series hosted by Asia Centre in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Southeast and East Asia.
Youth and Disinformation in Malaysia: Strengthening Electoral Integrity
Download Full Report Youth and Disinformation in Malaysia: Strengthening Electoral Integrity identifies the potential risks from disinformation that youths are likely to face in the 15th General Election (GE15) to be held latest by September 2023. A review of media reports and studies that referenced the last 5 general elections, revealed 5 recurring patterns of disinformation clustering around: sexual orientation and promiscuity; corruption; electoral integrity; women politicians and foreign interference. To date, legal and non-legal measures remain largely ineffective against political disinformation. Provisions in existing laws are vague and place authority in the hands of the government who can use these laws against critics. Meanwhile, non-legal measures by government agencies, government-linked companies and politicians lack the involvement of other stakeholders. The report recommends that legislation criminalising disinformation be compatible with international standards, and not restrict freedom of expression nor silence critics. And that the development of non-legal measures, such as media and digital literacy, involve non-government stakeholders and be promoted at an early age among the youth. In turn, these recommendations can strengthen the integrity and trust in Malaysia’s electoral system.
Internet Freedoms in Thailand
Download Full Report Internet Freedoms in Thailand reviews and analyses legislation that impacts internet freedoms in Thailand. These include provisions in the Constitution, Penal Code, the Computer Crime Act, the Cybersecurity Act, and the Emergency Decree. As this report shows, many provisions under these laws contain vague language enabling wide interpretation, impose harsh punishment, and give far-reaching power to the authorities. Today, internet freedoms in Thailand remain under threat, a product of continuous restrictions accelerated since the 2014 coup. These laws are used to justify removing or blocking content criticising the monarchy and establishment, prosecuting internet users, and harassing activists, individuals, journalists, and human rights defenders. This has led some sectors of Thai society to practise self-censorship, while others choose to defy the regime. Recommendations on upholding internet freedom in Thailand provided in this report include: to amend or repeal provisions containing vague language and imposing harsh penalties; decriminalise defamation and place it within the civil code; and limit the application of the Emergency Decree strictly as necessary.
MIL in Post-Pandemic Southeast Asia: Approaches to Measuring Effectiveness in the Academic Literature
Download Full Report Dr. James Gomez and Dr. Robin Ramcharan, Directors of Asia Centre, authored an article “MIL in Post-Pandemic Southeast Asia: Approaches to Measuring Effectiveness in the Academic Literature” in Thai Media Fund Journal. The article reviews scholarship on the effectiveness of media information literacy (MIL) to distil its models and assesses its utility as a concept. Based on the review, eight questions regarding MIL are expanded upon in the article to provide a framework for policymakers, civil society programmers and researchers in their effort to design stronger MIL programmes.
Thailand Computer Crime Act: Restricting Digital Rights, Silencing Online Critics
Download Full Report Download (in Thai) Thailand Computer Crime Act: Restricting Digital Rights, Silencing Online Critics reviews the provisions of the 2007 Computer Crime Act (CCA) and its 2017 amendment, as well as their impact on digital rights in Thailand. Containing harsh penalties and vaguely-worded provisions subject to extensive interpretation by authorities, the CCA removes critical content from the internet, harasses and prosecutes those who speak out and puts pressure on ISPs and tech companies to carry out orders. Instead, the report recommends that the Thai government review and amend rights-infringing sections of the CCA and ensure they comply with international human rights standards. Tech companies and local CSOs must also maintain a firm stance on safeguarding freedom of expression online.
COVID-19 and Infodemic in Southeast Asia
Download Full Report In the academic article “COVID-19 and Infodemic in Southeast Asia” published in Thai Media Fund Journal, Dr. James Gomez and Dr. Robin Ramcharan examine COVID-19 related ‘infodemic’ from 2020 to mid-2021. They take stock of how the ‘infodemic’ has adversely disrupted access to accurate public health information in Southeast Asia by and assess existing non-legal measures that have been used in response to the infodemic. Strategies reviewed in the article include: information sharing, fact checking, responses of technology companies, quality journalism and media information literacy (MIL) – each with shortcomings of their own. The situation in the region calls for a concerted effort to develop MIL education as a long-term guarantee against infodemic; while other strategies noted in the article must also be developed to accompany MIL.
Media Freedom in Southeast Asia: Repeal Restrictive Laws, Strengthen Quality Journalism
Download full report Media Freedom in Southeast Asia: Repeal Restrictive Laws, Strengthen Quality Journalism examines the use of fake news legislation to crack down on legitimate journalistic expression. Seeking to control the flow of information in the online space, governments have enacted these laws to monitor and control the internet infrastructure over which information critical or unflattering of the government can be disseminated. The laws contain vaguely-worded provisions penalising the act of spreading disinformation or information that authorities consider harmful to national security, public order and social harmony. While the negative dimensions of online content are of concern, the increased use of these legislation erodes media freedom. Instead, the report recommends that the focus should be on promoting the responsible use of online media platforms that can empower credible actors to counterbalance online disinformation through verified information and strengthen quality journalism.
COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia: Building Resilience, Fighting Authoritarianism
Download Asia Centre’s second baseline study examines trends under which Southeast Asian governments have used crises as opportunities for their political advantage. This report, centred around the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), highlights the routine response from governments with the announcement of emergency decrees and laws, suspension of civil freedoms, corruption of electoral democracy, censorship, digital surveillance measures, and framing human rights activists as national security threats. Post-crises, governments then enact long term laws and policies that effectively shrink civic space. Their methods also include limiting media and journalists’ watchdog activities through fake news and defamation labels, whilst substantially contributing to the dwindling civil society funding. A set of recommendations are also prescribed for the United Nations, governments, donors, and civil society.
Hate Speech in Southeast Asia: New Forms, Old Rules
Download Hate speech, often disseminated online, is increasingly a problem in Southeast Asia with consequences of violence and communal strife. As a result, several countries in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand have introduced or are revising bills aimed at securing social, racial or religious harmony. Non-legal measures to foster social cohesion, interfaith dialogues and social harmony activities have also been used to address hate speech and promote cross-communal understandings. A majority of states in Southeast Asia have also signed the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) to signal their committment to to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races. This report recommends a range of measures to alleviate these concerns. Among them, is a primary recommendation to officially recognise newer forms of hate speech and a set of secondary recommendations to promote understanding and diversity. All which should not result in any discrimination or infringement of rights.