Download The article “Shaping Justice: How Media is Transforming Crime Investigations in Thailand” examines how growing public distrust in Thailand’s law enforcement has led media outlets to take on a more prominent role in investigating crime and exposing corruption. As confidence in the police diminishes, the media emerges as a critical platform for whistleblowers, citizen journalists, and independent experts. Yet, while this shift promotes transparency and accountability, it also raises concerns about sensationalism, misinformation and the risk of undermining formal investigative processes.

Download The article “Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword in Thailand’s Cyber Scam Crisis” examines the role of social media in cyber scams in Thailand through two high-profile cases: the iCON Group case, a pyramid-based investment and sales scam, and the case of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was trafficked to a scam compound in Myanmar, along the Thai border. These two cases show the complex relationship between fraud operations and digital platforms, where social media facilitates exploitation to lure victims while, at the same time, being used for scrutiny and public accountability.

Download The policy paper “Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in Southeast Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance” explores how the use of powers by Southeast Asian governments during the COVID-19 pandemic derogated rights. Emergency and temporary laws, as well as special provisions in infectious disease laws, impacted fundamental rights beyond what was necessary to keep the virus at bay. Consequently, control over the population was tightened and democracy backtracked. The paper demonstrates that governments used COVID-laws to amass disproportionate power and over-restrict civic freedoms on four ends. First, strict lockdowns were used to stifle freedom of assembly and protest. Second,…

Download Pandemic Governance & Civic Freedoms: Best Practices from Japan evaluates the approach taken to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. For the Japanese people, civic freedoms are a fundamental aspect of citizens’ rights. Hence, Japan’s approach during the pandemic was to balance civic freedoms while ensuring public health and safety. With a range of less coercive measures, such as a less coercive state of emergency and legislative amendments, transparent communication, collaborative efforts from state and non-state actors, and healthcare-led decision-making, the country’s fatality rate was among the lowest globally. Japan’s prioritisation of civic freedoms contrasts with the measures…

Download Restrictions on Internet Freedoms: Recommendations for Thai Policy-makers and Civil Society assesses both legal and non-legal measures that adversely affect online internet usage in Thailand. These measures encompass the Country’s Penal Code, Computer Crime Act, Internal Security Act, information operations, and targeted online surveillance. The presence of vaguely-worded laws has facilitated the direct persecution of internet and social media users based on their content and exercise of freedom of expression. Moreover, these laws provide a legal basis for online surveillance and state-sponsored disinformation campaigns against critics. This report analyses the resulting impacts of such measures and offers key recommendations…

Download In South Asia, governments tended to adopt two approaches to contain the spread of the pandemic. The Maldives and Sri Lanka declared state of emergencies, while Bangladesh, India and Nepal relied on temporary health emergency laws. Regardless of the differences between these two approaches, all these measures restricted people’s civic freedoms, thus curbing democracy in the region. The policy brief “Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in South Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance” makes an assessment of the impact of anti-COVID-19 legal measures on people’s fundamental rights in South Asia. 

Download In East Asia, regional countries have sought two main approaches to managing COVID-19. On the one hand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan adopted anti-COVID-19 measures that aligned with international human rights standards. On the other hand, China, North Korea, Hong Kong’s “Zero-COVID” mechanisms to contain the pandemic were more restrictive, threatening people’s fundamental rights. The policy brief “Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in East Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance” provides an overview of these two approaches and the impact on human rights in East Asia. 

Download Waging War Against COVID-19: The Securitisation of the Health Response in Five Asian Countries, evaluates the various health responses enacted by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka. This briefing note categories the health responses as blended civil, securitised or militarised. Such an approach shows that authorities in the region, tackling the COVID-19 situation, primarily approach it as public security rather than a public health threat. This briefing note is a prelude to the full report The Securitisation of COVID-19 Health Protocols: Policing the Vulnerable, Infringing their Rights.