Defending Freedom of Expression

Defending Freedom of Expression

Download Full Report AbstractDefending Freedom of Expression: Fake News Laws in East and Southeast Asia published by Asia Centre and the Council of Asia Liberals and Democrats (CALD) examines the existing and recently enacted laws and policies in the region which govern disinformation. The aim of the report is to provide a policy tool of ideas to empower legislators, political party leaders, academics, civil society activists, journalists to protect freedom of expression. This report compares the impact of legislation in countries with multiparty legislatures and independent government institutions, and countries with one dominant political force and an absence of independent…

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Myanmar Coup and Internet Shutdowns

Myanmar Coup and Internet Shutdowns

Download Asia Centre’s Briefing Note, Myanmar Coup and Internet Shutdowns, tracks the period 1 February to 31 March 2021. The Note provides a timeline of the shutdowns, reactions from protestors, technology companies and the international community, legal analysis of key laws and Myanmar’s international obligations. Over the course of the coup, it records a shift in tactics by the military junta from internet content censorship to infrastructure control. Asia Centre will continue to track developments related to internet freedoms in Myanmar and Southeast Asia.  

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COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia

COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia

Download Full Report ABSTRACT COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia: Building Resilience, Fighting Authoritarianism 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…

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Hate Speech in Southeast Asia

Hate Speech in Southeast Asia

Download Full Report ABSTRACT 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…

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Call for Chapter Proposals

Call for Chapter Proposals

Call for Chapter ProposalsFake News and Elections in South AsiaBOOK PROJECTProposal to Established PublisherSouth Asia has not been spared the scourge of fake news that has spread globally in the social media era. Strategic exploitation of fake news negatively affects fact-based democratic discourse and the conduct of elections, the most basic indicator of governmental legitimacy. At election-time disinformation and misinformation exact a toll on democracy, especially in contexts of low-literacy.The central theme of this book is on disinformation, fake news, hoaxes and foreign influence operations immediately prior to and during elections that have taken place in South Asia since 2016.…

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Call for Chapter Proposals

Call for Chapter Proposals

Call for Chapter ProposalsFake News and Elections in East AsiaBOOK PROJECTProposal to Established PublisherAsia Centre invites high quality proposals for chapters of a forthcoming book on Fake News and Elections in East Asia. Interested authors may submit a title, an abstract of 300 words (max), 5 keywords and a bio of 100 words (max) per author for consideration. The central theme that chapters must focus on is disinformation, fake news and foreign influence operations immediately prior to and during elections that have taken place in the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 in East Asia. Chapters on Japan, Hong…

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Call for Chapter Proposals

Call for Chapter Proposals

Call for Chapter ProposalsFake News and Elections in Indonesia: The Politics of IdentityBOOK PROJECTProposal to Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan  Asia Centre invites high quality proposals for chapters of a forthcoming book on Fake News and Elections in Indonesia: The Politics of Identity. Interested authors may submit a title, an abstract of 300 words (max) and bio of 100 word (max) for consideration. The central theme that chapters must focus on is disinformation, hoaxes and fake news immediately prior to and during the presidential elections of 2019. Authors are recommended to make comparisons to the 2014 presidential elections and to also discuss the post-2019…

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Business and Human Rights in Asia: Duty of The State to Protect

Business and Human Rights in Asia: Duty of The State to Protect

Buy Now Abstract In this book the authors examine the State’s duty to protect human rights in Asia amidst rising concern over the human rights impact of business organisations in Asia. States in the region have recently begun to consider the need for rules and policies in this area. This work examines the upswing in interest in business and human rights (BHR). It focuses on the duty of the State in the region to uphold their existing obligations, which has hitherto been understudied. It examines a range of inter-connected issues: the advent of international standards, the UN Guiding Principles on…

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National Human Rights Institutions in Southeast Asia: Selected Case Studies

National Human Rights Institutions in Southeast Asia: Selected Case Studies

Buy Now Abstract This book reviews Southeast Asia’s National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) as part of an emerging assessment of a nascent regional human rights architecture that is facing significant challenges in protecting human rights. The book asks, can NHRIs overcome its weaknesses and provide protection, including remedies, to victims of human rights abuses? Assessing NHRIs’ capacity to do so is vital as the future of human rights protection lies at the national level, and other parts of the architecture—the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), and the international mechanism of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)—though helpful, also have…

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