More than 30 representatives from civil society organisations (CSOs) and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) attended the Kick-off Information Session of the Digital Rights Programme for Civil Society Organisations. Held online on 19 December 2023, participants represented 18 CSOs and 9 INGOs. Co-convened by Asia Centre and Google, the programme aims, over a 12 month period, to strengthen the capacity of CSO to respond to legislation that impacts digital rights in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2015, the region has been experiencing a rise in regulatory frameworks across national jurisdictions that restrict freedom of expression and impede freedom of assembly. This has led…

Highly restrictive laws have spurred self-censorship and the use of euphemisms in journalism. Meanwhile, business sustainability issues have forced media organisations to engage in advertorial and service-based revenue generation. Transformative changes and the ability to address these challenges, however, need to occur with multiple stakeholders, including the media and journalists. These and other challenges for news outlets and journalists in the Asian region were brought up by many participants at the “Asia Media Forum: Let’s Talk Equality” event held in Bangkok, Thailand on 11-12 December 2023. The event was co-convened by Asia Centre and Oxfam in Asia and was attended by…

In the heyday of digital activism, the online realm held promise as a dynamic battleground for social change. The openness and lack of border restrictions seemed to provide fertile ground for activists to orchestrate campaigns, as seen in the transformative movements like the Arab Spring and Taiwan's Sunflower Movement. However, the optimism surrounding the efficacy of online activism has proven short-lived, especially in the face of increasing restrictions imposed by authoritarian regimes across Asia.Examples abound of repressive tactics, from judicial harassment to internet shutdowns, online censorship, information warfare, and digital surveillance. These measures have significantly curtailed the effectiveness of digital…

On 27 October 2023, Asia Centre convened the second meeting of the multi-stakeholder advisory board to present the preliminary findings of its study for the “Assessment of Media Development in Cambodia”.The meeting took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phnom Penh and was attended by 23 participants, including representatives from the relevant ministries, diplomatic missions, media-related CSOs, journalists, and media professionals. Sardar Umar Alam, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, and Dr James Gomez from the Asia Centre gave the welcome remarks, outlining the importance of using UNESCO’s media indicators to assess the media landscape in the country and also provided…

At the Internet Freedoms for Southeast Asia (IFSEA) End-of-Project Partners’ Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, there was broad consensus among the more than 20 participants that more still need to be done to protect digital rights. Three focus areas identified were: advocacy with governments, building coalitions in the region with other like-minded stakeholders, and implementing capacity-building activities. The partners’ meeting took place from 1–3 November 2023, co-convened by Asia Centre and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL). It was attended by representatives from the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), Open Development Cambodia (ODC), KRYSS Network, Hadomi Timor Foundation–FONGTIL,…

On 20 October 2023, Asia Centre and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their existing cooperation and explore opportunities for future collaboration in media and communications-related activities, research and training developments. The signatories were Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre, and Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. The MoU signing ceremony included an introduction to Asia Centre, and an overview of Asia Centre covering its scope, programme areas, and partners, which were presented by Dr. James Gomez and Dr. Marc Piñol Rovira. Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad…

Asia Centre and The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) co-convened the Democracy in Asia and the Pacific 2024 Outlook Forum in Bangkok, Thailand on 19-20 October 2023. This was the 2nd Outlook Forum organised by International IDEA, and was attended by more than 20 participants from various INGOs and NGOs, academic institutions, as well as researchers and activists. The Forum sought to explore uncertainties and emerging issues, using foresight methodologies, that may impact the future of democracy in the Asia-Pacific. The welcome and opening remarks were delivered by Leena Rikkilä Tamang, Director for Asia and the…