Coalitions, both regional and national, needed to promote and improve internet freedoms in Southeast Asia through legislative reform and media literacy training.

Coalitions, both regional and national, needed to promote and improve internet freedoms in Southeast Asia through legislative reform and media literacy training.

Advocacy for reforming key restrictive legislations and capacity-building, especially on media literacy, and the formation of regional and national coalitions are the top strategy choices to improve internet freedoms in Southeast Asia. These were the practical approaches identified by over 30 parliamentarians, UN agencies, representatives from CSOs and media associations across Southeast Asia who attended the “IFSEA (Internet Freedom in Southeast Asia) Regional Conference” co-convened by Asia Centre and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) between 9–10 May 2023, in Bangkok, Thailand.  The regional conference is a part of the wider IFSEA project undertaken by Asia Centre with the…

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FICA, One Year On: Impacts and Developments

FICA, One Year On: Impacts and Developments

In 2021, Singapore enacted the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, known as FICA. On paper, it aims to protect Singaporean politics from foreign interference with two sets of provisions. The first provision targets information campaigns. This provision empowers the government to shut down organisations deemed to communicate “on behalf of a foreign principal” with the aim of manipulating Singapore’s domestic political discourse. The second provision concerns measures to counter local proxies or politically significant persons (known as PSPs). Under this provision, personalities suspected of being foreign agents can be monitored. The bill has raised several concerns, primarily due to its vague…

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State-sponsored Disinformation To Impact Thailand’s Election Integrity

State-sponsored Disinformation To Impact Thailand’s Election Integrity

On 28 April 2023, Asia Centre held a discussion panel for the launch of its latest report “State-Sponsored Online Disinformation: Impact on Election Integrity in Thailand”. The discussion panel assesses how state-sponsored disinformation or Information Operations (IOs) impact Thailand’s electoral integrity. A week after releasing, Bangkok Post, an English-language daily newspaper, published an opinion piece,  State Lies Hurt Election Integrity written by Dr James Gomez and Korbkusol Neelapaichit.  Besides, the key research findings were also promoted via an online campaign with infographics posted on Asia Centre’s social media platforms, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and Tiktok. The event, at the Centre’s Meeting…

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State-Sponsored Online Disinformation: Impact On Electoral Integrity In Thailand

State-Sponsored Online Disinformation: Impact On Electoral Integrity In Thailand

Download Full Report State-Sponsored Online Disinformation: Impact On Electoral Integrity In Thailand examines government-backed disinformation campaigns, known as information operations, and assesses their impact on the integrity of elections. The report identifies the actions of key domestic and international state actors that contribute to the false information campaigns. Based on the evidence of the existence of information operations in Thailand and the absence of effective legal and non-legal measures to address them, the 2023 Thai General Election is expected to experience its share of state-sponsored disinformation over social media platforms. The report identifies four types of information operations in Thailand…

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Asia Centre Engages Timor-Leste’s Political Leadership Over Internet Freedoms

Asia Centre Engages Timor-Leste’s Political Leadership Over Internet Freedoms

From 13-17 February 2023, Dr. James Gomez, Asia Centre’s Regional Director, visited Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste to engage with Timor-Leste’s political leadership, parliament and other stakeholders on the findings from Asia Centre and International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL)’s report Timor- Leste: Internet Freedoms Under Threat and to boost future collaboration with local stakeholders. Dr. Gomez kicked off his visit on 13 February 2023 with a bilateral meeting with President of the National Parliament, Aniceto Guterres Lopesthe. He handed over the report and discussed how the parliament had a role in improving Timor-Leste’s internet freedoms.  While at the…

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Thai Law on NGOs: Will It Materialise?

Thai Law on NGOs: Will It Materialise?

In February 2021, the Thai Cabinet approved in principle the draft Act on the Operation of Not-for-profit Organisations. This law would enable Thai officials to unilaterally order the temporary or permanent closure of non-profit organisations that, through their actions, adversely affect Thailand’s relations with countries. The international community has condemned the draft law since it would systematically violate fundamental rights like freedom of association and freedom of expression of non-profit organisations. Additionally, its provisions would restrict the collaboration between local and foreign CSOs. After resistance and pushback from both domestic and international stakeholders, the draft law was temporarily put on…

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The Law on Organisation Registration: its impact on Myanmar CSOs

The Law on Organisation Registration: its impact on Myanmar CSOs

In 2022, the Myanmar Junta enacted the new Law on Organisation Registration, repealing the previous Registration of Organisation Law 2014. This law regulates the registration of NGOs and INGOs. It affects, primarily, the latter. With the new law, at least 40% of the executive membership of an INGO must be made up of Myanmar citizens. Furthermore, it also expands the requirements an INGO must meet in order to operate in the country, such as obtaining approval of the relevant authorities regarding its intended programmes and activities. Observers believe that the law is part of the Junta’s attempt to restrict CSOs’…

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Rhetoric of Foreign Interference in Cambodia’s 2023 General Election

Rhetoric of Foreign Interference in Cambodia’s 2023 General Election

The Royal Government of Cambodia has regularly used rhetoric of foreign interference to accuse members of civil society organisations and opposition political parties of collaborating with international actors to corrupt Cambodian society. For example, in 2017, Kem Sokha, former leader of the opposition party CNRP - which was dissolved by the Supreme Court in the same year - was arrested for treason, and accused of colluding with the United States to topple the Cambodian government. The ruling party has implemented several measures such as amending the constitution to ban Cambodians holding dual nationalities from holding high-ranking political positions, citing the…

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Asia Centre Launches Report on Internet Freedom in Malaysia

Asia Centre Launches Report on Internet Freedom in Malaysia

On 1 March 2023, Asia Center held a virtual launch and discussion of its latest report Internet Freedoms in Malaysia: Regulating Online Discourse on Race, Religion, and Royalty. The event drew over 60 participants and included members of academic institutions, representatives from civil society organisations, human rights activists, lawyers and journalists.  The report was first released online to the public and the media on 16 January 2023. The next day, the Malay Mail published an article, Study: ‘Ultranationalist’ groups gaining traction in Malaysian online space following Umno’s defeat in 2018 polls | Malay Mail by Keertan Ayamany. In the afternoon,…

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Asia Centre and National Human Rights Commission of Thailand Sign Cooperation Agreement

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Asia Centre and National Human Rights Commission of Thailand Sign Cooperation Agreement

Sign Cooperation Agreement On 23 February 2023, Asia Centre and 4 other Southern Thailand academic institutions - Fatoni University, Thaksin University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince of Songkla University (Pattani Campus), Faculty of Law, Prince of Songkla University - each signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT). Held at the Science Park, Prince of Songkla University and coordinated by NHRCT’s southern region office, the joint signing ceremony was witnessed by Assistant Professor Suchart Setthamalinee, National Human Rights Commissioner of Thailand and Professor Sirirurg Songsivilai, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of…

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