In the attempts to keep the COVID-19 pandemic under control, Southeast Asia governments introduced contact-tracing applications to help manage people’s movement and decrease the risk of infection. Their enforcement however was met with criticism and concerns over state surveillance and infringement on the right to privacy.
In preventing future abuse of power during times of emergency, the Pheu Thai Party (PTP), which leads the coalition government, should exercise leadership and consider the latest amendment to the Emergency Decree put forward by the opposition.
On 25 September 2023, Asia Centre and Radio Taiwan International (Rti), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The aim is to establish a framework to engage in future media collaboration. The signatories were Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre, and Ms Cheryl Lai, Chairperson of Rti. The MoU signing ceremony included short introductions to Asia Centre, its research activities, and the upcoming 9th International Conference. These were presented by Dr. James Gomez, Dr. Marc Piñol Rovira, and Ms Lina Salim, respectively. Mr Carlson Huang, Rti Manager of International Languages, introduced Rti to the attendees. Rti is the only…
From 23 to 25 August 2023, Asia Centre convened its 8th International Conference on “Democracy and Elections in Asia”. The conference marked a return to fully on-site participation, with over 130 attendees hailing from more than 20 countries. Asia has been buzzing with elections since 2022 with the Presidential Election in the Philippines, South Korea, and Sri Lanka, the Chief Executive Election in Hong Kong, General Elections in Malaysia and Nepal, and Gubernatorial Elections in Japan. 2023 continued with the Presidential Elections in Bangladesh, China, and Singapore, General Elections in Cambodia and Thailand, and State Elections in Malaysia. More elections…
Chiang Mai University, a title partner for Asia Centre’s 8th International Conference "Democracy and Elections in Asia" on 23 to 25 August 2023, through its welcome remarks and panel analysed the outcomes of Thailand’s 2023 General Election and whether the polls would actually return the kingdom to democracy.Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University, Asst. Prof. Dr. Pailin Phujeenaphan, in her welcome remarks, observed that despite the expectation that digital technologies would serve as an accelerator to democratisation - Thailand’s politics remains in a quagmire. The same message was delivered on the next day,…
Google, title partner for Asia Centre’s 8th International Conference "Democracy and Elections in Asia" on 23 to 25 August 2023, through its welcome remarks and panel outlined how the technology company and its partners seek to address some of the negative online influences on election integrity.Vice President of Google’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Markham Erickson in his welcome remarks on 24 August 2023 said the technology company supports electoral integrity by engaging users to disseminate authoritative information about their elections; protecting online electoral information and combating disinformation; and supporting elections campaigns by managing their digital presence, alongside trainings for…
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), a title partner for Asia Centre’s 8th International Conference on “Democracy and Elections in Asia”, hosted two panels and a demonstration session. During the three-day conference, panel speakers convened by International IDEA emphasised the importance of offering support and fostering solidarity with democratic actors in Asia. This importance was underscored during the opening remark on 23 August by Leena Rikkilä Tamang, International IDEA’s Director for Asia and the Pacific. She emphasised that, given the numerous challenges to democracy posed by electoral manipulation, the importance of solidarity and cooperation among civil…
IDRC, as title partner for Asia Centre’s 8th International Conference "Democracy and Elections in Asia" from 23 to 25 August 2023, called for greater inclusivity and the strengthening of research capacity in Asia. IDRC made these calls through the two panels it convened at the three-day conference, in which speakers discussed the key challenges women in Asian countries face to engage in politics and how researching democracies can be improved. These calls were framed by the opening remarks of Caroline Ford, Director for Democratic and Inclusive Governance at IDRC, who said that civic spaces serve as a vital platform for…
Emergency measures imposed by governments across Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted human rights and democracy in the region, leading to the shrinking of civic spaces and repression of human rights activists, CSOs, independent journalists, and other civic actors. Although most of these measures were initially and publicly meant for public health and safety, these governments, in practice, used these to curb civic freedoms. These include laws that criminalise protestors, silence calls for public accountability, restrict electoral campaigning, and closely surveil the population. In this context, Asia Centre, in partnership with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL),…
Between 21 and 23 July 2023, the Asia Centre and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Southeast & East Asia jointly organised the #Reshaping Europe: Hackathon on the ASEAN-EU Relations. The primary objective of the Hackathon was to provide young leaders with an opportunity to propose initiatives aimed at enhancing the relationship between ASEAN and the EU. During the event, ten teams of two participants each from Southeast and East Asia worked on developing and presenting their project ideas to a wider audience. Participants were required to align the goals of their initiatives with trade and economic cooperation between ASEAN and…