Media Information Literacy Needed To Combat Disinformation
Disinformation is a major issue in Southeast Asia and Thailand is not an exception. However, media literacy education can be a good tool to tackle the negative effects of disinformation. This was the key takeaway from the panel discussion, “Media Information Literacy in Southeast Asia and Thailand” held on 5 August 2022 at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University. The event was organised by Asia Centre in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (Thailand Office), and in partnership with Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Payap University, Maejo University and the Office of National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The panel, moderated by Assistant Professor Dr. Napat Ruangnapakul from the Faculty of Information and Communication, Maejo University, consisted of Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre, Assistant Professor Dr. Taien Layraman, Assistant to vice President for Administration and Finance, Payap University, Rotchanakorn Baengthit, Lecturer at the Department of Communication Arts, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University and Dr. Tri Bunchua Executive Director, Executive Director at the Broadcasting Consumers Protection Bureau, the Office of National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in disinformation obstructing access to accurate health information. While there have been different attempts by governments, CSOs and tech companies to counter disinformation with fact-checking initiatives, media information literacy (MIL) is increasingly seen as an effective tool against disinformation by strengthening the capacity for people to critically engage with online content and navigate the digital world. Starting the discussion, Asia Centre’s Dr. Gomez provided an overview of the current state of media information literacy in Southeast Asia. The key point made was the importance of ‘media ethics’ as a side-by-side approach to media information literacy programs given the rising number of citizen content producers. The regional overview was followed by perspectives from Thai universities and the government unit. Dr. Taien Layraman, Payap University, highlighted the importance of focusing on customer behaviour and their susceptibility to fake advertising, while Rotchanakorn Baengthit, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University and Dr. Tri Bunchua, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, emphasised collaborations among multi-stakeholders such as academic sector, media professionals and businesses. They pointed to the need to learn best practices from other countries in the region to improve media literacy for people of all ages in Thailand. Dr. Napat Ruangnapakul, Maejo University also suggested online platforms such as Co-Fact and other national fact-checking agencies as relevant tools to help regulate the flow of online false information. Overall the panellists argued the importance of highlighting the wide use of media literacy on people’s daily life as a way to reach a larger audience and deepen partnership among multi-stakeholders. The panel was convened in the studio at the Department of Communication Arts, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, with a green screen, and was live streamed over Facebook with the support of the department’s student team. The event was reported on local news publishers such as Chiang Mai News and the Public Relations Department Region 3 Chiangmai.
Asia Centre’s Report on Disinformation Attracts Strong Interest in Malaysia
Held on 8 September 2022, the launch of Asia Centre’s report Youth and Disinformation in Malaysia: Strengthening Electoral Integrity drew a crowd of over a hundred participants. It included academics, journalists, students and representatives from civil society organisations, the election commission, government agencies, political parties and youth groups. Media interest in the report was also strong. On the eve of the launch, The Vibes published an opinion piece ‘Political competition to intensify disinformation in GE15’ by Asia Centre’s regional director Dr. James Gomez. On the morning of the launch, Malay Mail published a curtain raiser article ‘Govt agencies, political parties the most active in spreading disinformation, new study finds’ – that was picked via syndication by Yahoo News Malaysia and Borneo Post Online. There was also a report in Bahasa Melayu ‘Penyebaran Maklumat Palsu: Pemerintah dan Pembangkang Sama-sama Aktif’ in Dagannew.com. Mashable, an online Southeast Asia news website, published an article ‘M’sian gov agencies & political parties are main culprits of disinformation, study finds’. Malaysiakini also published ‘Nearly 6m New Voters Will Be Target of Disinformation in GE15’. Earlier in the day, BFM radio’s Shazana Mokhtar interviewed Dr. Gomez for her podcast Pressing Matters: ‘Strengthening the Media Ecosystem against Political Disinformation’ that was released on 12 September. During the event, BFM radio also additionally interviewed Dr. Gomez for the 5:30 PM news bulletin. On the following day, The Malaysian Insight discussed the report’s findings in its article ‘Youth vulnerable to disinformation in next election, says think tank’. The report findings were also covered by Indonesian media. A couple days after the launch event, Alinea, an Indonesia online news website, published “Laporan terbaru tentang pemuda dan disinformasi di Malaysia berikan rekomendasi cara memperkuat integritas pemilu”. A week later, Malay Mail released another op-ed written by Dr. James on “Lowering voting age does not ensure political participation”. In Singapore, The Independent also published the op-ed on “Lowering voting age does not ensure political participation” on its platform. The research for the report was supported by Google. During the opening remarks of the launch event, hosted by the School of Media and Communication at Taylor’s University, Joanne Bala, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google, highlighted that there is a necessity to help voters access reliable sources of information, prevent disinformation and educate media and individuals on how to spot fake news and build resiliency among voters. Dr. James Gomez presented the report’s main findings, which were the 5 recurring patterns of disinformation that had occurred over 5 previous elections in Malaysia between 1999-2018. These were disinformation related to sexual orientation and promiscuity; corruption allegations; electoral integrity; attacks on women politicians; and foreign interference. These patterns of disinformation are expected to surface in Malaysia at the next general election that needs to be held by September 2023. Following the presentation, the findings were discussed by Daranee Balachander, Programme Officer, Centre for Independent Journalism; Zaidel Baharuddin, Vice President, of Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) party; and Dr. Choong Pui Yee, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Malaya. The panel was moderated by Dr. Benjamin Loh Yew Hoong, Taylor’s University and an associate of Asia Centre. Referring to the report, Daranee accepted that the risks of disinformation are real as more people access information online. She agreed with the report’s findings that mistrust in the media and lack of reliable and timely sources of information will facilitate disinformation and manipulation campaigns. For Zaidel, he emphasised the importance of Undi18 (the ‘Vote18’ movement) and stated that he was not too concerned about disinformation as youths are able to discern between fake news and the truth. However, he agreed with the report, disinformation can be weaponised by the government to stifle legitimate opinion and freedom of expression. Next, Dr. Pui said she was pleased that the report highlighted how disinformation can be used to harass women politicians. She said sexist remarks, harassment and body shaming are prevalent in the online space. Falsehood resulting from a misogynist culture can discourage women from political participation. Dr. Gomez outlined Asia Centre’s recommendations that can be adopted by relevant government agencies, the election commission, technology companies, universities, think-tanks and NGOs to curb the spread of disinformation during elections. In the short term, the Election Commission should update rules or regulations to combat disinformation campaigns and ensure that voters can cast their meaningful votes. Political parties should run political campaigns with accurate and verified content and stop mudslinging political rivals by deploying fake news or disinformation. Technology companies should be provocative in combating disinformation on their platforms by flagging false information and removing or taking down false information that potentially misleads voters. In the medium to long resolution, the Centre recommends the government introduce or amend any law that criminalises disinformation, that it should be compatible with international standards and refrain from curbing freedom of expression. Educational institutions should include digital literacy in the basic curriculum to ensure all students stay safe online and foster principles of democracy, human rights and elections in schools. The event ended with the recognition that the risks from political disinformation are real in GE15 and need to be tackled by stakeholders. Watch the FB livestream recording of the event here. In addition, between 20 – 21 September 2022, Dr. Gomez was invited by Google to attend the Trusted Media Summit APAC 2022 held in Singapore. In this event attended by academics, media practitioners, CSOs, government officers and tech companies, he presents key findings and recommendations from the report. Read the full report Youth and Disinformation in Malaysia: Strengthening Electoral Integrity.
7th International Conference (2022): Freedom of Expression in Asia
From 24 to 26 August 2022, Asia Centre convened its 7th International Conference: ‘Freedom of Expression in Asia’. Following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, participants and panellists flew from different regions to join the Conference held at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Bangkok. Meanwhile, those who could not join in-person due to travel and health advisories participated remotely via Zoom. Into its 7th year, Asia Centre’s annual conference continues to grow with the 2022 Conference having 16 partners: Taiwan Foundation for Democracy; Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Thailand; Embassy of Switzerland in Thailand; Google Asia Pacific; International Development Research Centre (IDRC); Eugene Thuraisingam LLP; International Republican Institute (IRI); Destination Justice; Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI); Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD); Graduate School of Humanities Osaka University; University of Libral Arts Bangladesh (ULAB); Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; Expertise Agency of The Indonesian House of Representatives; Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC) and Kyushu University. A total of 16 panels were convened with 63 speakers, of which 54 percent were male and 46 percent were female. There were 90 people joining the conference on-site and 20 online, bringing the total number of people at the Conference to 110. The conference examined the current state of freedom of expression in Asia following the pandemic which has given rise to authoritarianism in the region. Throughout the three days, the following major themes were discussed: impacts of laws that interfere with freedom of expression, commonalities that Asian governments share in suppressing simmering political discontent, personal experience and ordeal of human rights defenders from different countries, balance between freedom of expression and content regulation in cyberspace. There were also six country panels covering Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Japan and Korea. On the first evening, participants were welcomed by Robin Ramcharan, Executive Director of Asia Centre who introduced the first panel by the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD). Speakers from Singapore, Cambodia and Taiwan shared cases of political persecution in their respective countries. They pointed out that their governments have – or at least used to in the case of Taiwan – employed both extrajudicial tactics, including killing, and legal means to silence their critics to maintain their grip on power. The second day started with official welcome remarks from Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre, Conradin Rasi, Chargé d’Affaires a.i of the Embassy of Switzerland in Thailand, and a keynote speech from Michaela Browning, Vice President of Google APAC’s Government Affairs and Public Policy. Browning remarked that the internet has enhanced the enjoyment of freedom of expression by providing people with access to information. But to perpetuate and protect this enjoyment, there needs to be clear regulations in order to ensure safe and secure access and build trust and confidence between government, public, and internet providers. Speakers from civil society organisations, international institutions, technology corporates and universities across 7 panels addressed challenges to freedom of expression in Asia. Panellists discussed youth political expressions, challenges faced by women human rights defenders, academic freedom, legal measures on public speech, platform governance, models of internet content moderation and collaboration among Asian civil society in building a rights-friendly regulatory environment in Asia. There were attempts to lay out the responsibilities of states, technological corporations and civil society in protecting freedom of expression while ensuring privacy. On the third day, the last day of the conference, 8 panels consisting of university researchers, government units, activists and media organisations examined the development of legal frameworks on access to information and freedom of expressions in selected countries in Asia, media freedom, digital literacy and disinformation, platform governance, hate speech, impacts of COVID-19 and philosophical consideration on freedom of expression and experience of human rights activists. In the last panel of the Conference, Doreen Chen, Executive Director of Destination Justice, launched a baseline study Internet Freedoms in Thailand which is a collaboration between Asia Centre and Destination Justice. The report reviews and analyses legislation that impacts internet freedoms in Thailand. These include provisions in the Constitution, Penal Code, the Computer Crime Act, the Cybersecurity Act, and the Emergency Decree. The report can be accessed here. At the end of the conference, Asia Centre’s Dr. James Gomez, joined by Dr. Narut Charoensri, Vice Dean at the School of International Affairs, Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University signed an agreement to co-convene the 8th International Conference: ‘Democracy and Elections in Asia’, which will be held in Bangkok from 23 to 25 August 2023. The details of the conference are available here. The conference is Asia Centre’s annual event where it brings together its partners to share the outcomes of their programmes and network for future collaborations. Over the years, the conference has become a platform for a range of actors to meet and discuss key human rights issues. Recordings of selected conference panels are available on Asia Centre’s YouTube channel and photo albums are published on the Centre’s Facebook page.
Asia Centre’s New Research Hub
Asia Centre will consolidate its research work under a new Hub, as the team expands to publish more books, baseline studies, policy papers, and opinion pieces. Part of this work will involve making submissions to the UN, following the granting, in 2021, the UN’s ECOSOC Special Consultative Status. The Research Hub, housed in a 131 sqm office on the 20th floor of the Chamnan Phenjati Business Center, and located 200m away from Rama 9 MRT Station, has a mixture of open working spaces and meeting rooms. Fitted with the latest video-conferencing technology, the Hub will enable the Asia Centre Team to work collaboratively across borders and time zones. The Hub will have four separate rooms for the Asia Centre Team and Partners to meet and collaborate. The Asia Centre Team will primarily be located in the working area which will be composed of eight work stations, with a TV console and whiteboard for team meetings. Along the walls will be built-in cabinets and shelves for storage, printers, and office supplies. There will also be a pantry with a fridge, microwave, filtered water, and a coffee machine. Surrounding the working area will be four separate rooms. Meeting Room 1, composed of a table, five chairs, and a TV screen will be used to receive Asia Centre partners for face-to-face meetings and larger video conferencing calls. Meeting Room 2, composed of a table and two chairs, will be used for smaller meetings as well as online presentations. It will also serve as a studio for podcast and video recordings. The Discussion Room, with armchairs, small tables, and a wall projector, will serve as a space for Asia Centre Team Members to engage in collaborative conversations. The Quiet Room, with a built-in desk, chair, and a separate armchair, will be used for individual phone/ WhatsApp calls, as well as a place for quiet reflection or prayer. The new office will have glass walls and partitions all around to let in natural light. The renovation began in early April 2022 and is scheduled to end in August 2022. Watch our Facebook video here and check out the renovation updates 1, 2, 3, and 4 on TikTok. While the new office will serve as a research space, the Office in Phaya Thai will be used for convening events.
Ukraine Challenges Do Not Damper ASEAN-EU Relations
The ongoing war in Ukraine has accelerated several key challenges to the ASEAN-European Union (EU) relationship. These challenges include the EU’s unclear role in mediating the great power relationship in the wider Indo-Pacific region, a difference in approach towards regional integration, trade negotiations hampered by the political contexts of ASEAN states, and non-aligned over human rights issues that prevented the deepening of relationships. Despite these challenges, there is a desire within both regions to work towards maintaining and strengthening this strategic partnership. This was the primary sentiment that emerged from the conference “ASEAN-EU Relations in light of the War in Ukraine”, co-convened by Asia Centre with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia on 17 June 2022 at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok. The conference discussed developments since the elevation of the ASEAN-EU relationship to a “strategic partnership” in 2020. The conference had 4 thematic panels with a total of 14 speakers and was attended by over 150 people that included representatives from civil society organisations, diplomatic missions, government units, development aid agencies, the media and universities. The conference’s program can be found here. Opening the conference, Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff, Head, Regional Office Southeast and East Asia, Friedrich Naumann Foundation argued the importance of regionalism as the foundation for peace in the EU as well as in the ASEAN. Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre welcomed the participants and panelists and shared findings from the Centre’s closed doors consultations. He said the consultations revealed that 1) the majority of ASEAN states want to be neutral, 2) the peoples’ feelings and values opinion in ASEAN countries are divided over the war in Ukraine, and 3) the idea of the EU is still unclear among most people in ASEAN. The first panel, titled “Geo-Politics and Security”, discussed the value that the EU could provide to ASEAN countries in the midst of the US-China great power rivalry. The panel, moderated by Mr. Kleine-Brockoff, included H.E. Georg Schmidt, Ambassador of Germany to Thailand, Dr. Kitti Prasirtsuk, Professor, Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University and Dr. Felix Heiduk, Asia Division, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Although ASEAN sees the EU as a key actor who could ease tensions over the US-China great power rivalry and support ASEAN in setting up an inclusive mechanism, the deepened relationship between EU and the US following the Ukraine war is driving the EU away from ASEAN. Given that the Ukrainian war will be protracted, it is also likely that the EU would divert its resources to secure its borders and reduce attention towards ASEAN. Hence, rather than trying to get ASEAN to side with the EU over the war in Ukraine, the panel discussion veered towards how EU leaders can help ASEAN navigate the big powers over the conflict. The second panel, entitled “Regional Integration”, was moderated by Asia Centre Associate Dr. Kenneth Houston who was joined by Nukila Evanty, Country Director, Rights Foundation, Atena Stefania Feraru, author of “Weak States, Vulnerable Governments, and Regional Cooperation: An ASEAN Case Study” and Dr. Titipol Phakdeewanich, Director, Regional Center for Human Rights at the Faculty of Political Science of Ubon Ratchathani University. The panellists discussed the challenges faced by ASEAN and the EU regarding their respective approaches to regional integration as well as the lack of information and progress in cooperation and collaboration between the two regions which were further weakened by the War in Ukraine. The key reason why there is a stalemate is because the EU operates on a set of principled goals for cooperation, centralisation, and unity. On the other hand, ASEAN has a non-interference policy that is based on compromise as opposed to principles. As a result, the EU goals of cooperation with ASEAN will be unattainable, unless a different approach is considered. The third panel on “Trade” was moderated by Dr. Narut Charoensri, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University and included Robin Hoenig, Divisional Head, at Trade Policy Competence Centre; Tricia Yeoh, CEO of IDEAS; Tom Cachet, Chairman of Thai European Business Association (TEBA) Supply Chain Management Committee and Dr. Suwannarat Meesomboonpoonsuk, Lecturer, Southeast Asian Studies at Thammasat University. The panellists listed the existing issues that caused suspension of the agreements including: the ASEAN way; the lack of negotiation capacity; technical barriers; lack of political will; strong opposition from local producers as well as national regulations. Supply chain disruption as a result of the Russia and the Ukraine war, climate change and protectionism that flourished after the COVID-19 outbreak further added challenges to the agreements. To reach the ASEAN-EU Free Trade Agreements, bridging the gaps and increasing flexibility between the two regional blocs were suggested by members of the panel. The fourth and final panel entitled “The Future” was moderated by Dr. Robin Ramcharan, Executive Director, Asia Centre, and joined by Abhisit Vejjajiva, Former Prime Minister of Thailand, Karen Gomez Dumpit, Former Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, Laure Brachet, Head, Political Press and Information Section, EU Delegation to Thailand and Jonathan Head, journalist, BBC News. The panel started with introductory remarks on the need to precisely define the Indo-Pacific concept. The main argument made during the session was the need to further engage on human rights platforms and develop human rights policies to achieve mutually beneficial partnership, as both regions differed in their approaches towards the universality of human rights. Given the differences in approaches by both regions, the discussion focused on how best to find a way that might pave the way for strong future cooperation building. In summing up the fourth session and the conference, Dr. Ramcharan noted three points: 1) While both ASEAN and EU share common values, they need to acknowledge their differences in order for future EU-ASEAN relations to succeed. 2) Given the international political and economic context, future partnership building will be slow. 3) The EU’s position as a model and soft norm entrepreneur can contribute to deeper integration and help build a
Thailand’s Computer Crime Act: Placing Digital Rights At Risk
Increased internet use by Thai citizens for political expression and mobilisation gave rise to the implementation in 2007 and the later amendment in 2017 of the Computer Crime Act (CCA). In the name of national security and public order, the Act has been used to prosecute internet users placing their digital rights at risk. Asia Centre’s Researcher Korbkusol Neelapaichit made these opening remarks during the report launch of “Thailand’s Computer Crime Act: Restricting Digital Rights, Silencing Online Critic”, jointly published with EngageMedia and supported by The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL). Korbukusol then went on to highlight the key concerns around the Act. First, the CCA contains vague and broad language without clear definitions that is open for arbitrary interpretation. Second, it gives sweeping powers to officials, who are appointed by the Minister, without transparent procedures and judicial scrutiny for the use of powers under the Act. Third, the CCA penalises internet service providers (ISPs) and technology companies even if they are not the content producers. Fourth, the Act does not provide a mechanism for protecting privacy. There is no guarantee that how traffic data kept by ISPs or accessed by the officials will be used or scoped. Fifth, some offences under the Act overlap with offences under the Penal Code. Therefore, the CCA has been used to increase punishment or impose harsher penalties against offenders. Sixth, there is a lack of public awareness on the implications of the CCA. The public do not know how seriously the CCA violates their fundamental rights. As a result, the CCA has continuously been criticised for its disproportionate use to criminalise individuals and silence political dissent. Asia Centre’s analysis forecasts that the digital rights situation in Thailand is likely to worsen if the proposed CCA amendment by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) to introduce a single internet gateway is realised. This announcement has raised concern that freedom of expression, especially of independent media, journalists and human rights activists will be at risk. The report launch was attended by over 25 people that included representatives from diplomatic missions, development aid agencies, the media, respondents interviewed for the report and staff from Engage Media and Asia Centre. Read the full report here. The Thai version can be found here. You can also watch a TikTok video of the report launch event here.
Dr. Gomez in Doha: “Harmony laws” foster hate against minorities
“Harmony laws”, while well-intentioned, their implementation has inevitably led to the spread of hate speech directed at minorities in Southeast Asia. This is primarily due to the use of these laws against ethnic-religious minorities and those seen as a threat to the majority group. This was the finding that Asia Centre’s Regional Director, Dr.James Gomez, highlighted in his keynote speech delivered at the 14th Doha Interfaith Conference titled “Religion and Hate Speech: Between Scriptures and Practice” which took place on 24-25 May 2022 in Doha, Qatar. His speech, based on his conference paper, titled “Legislating Hate Speech in Southeast Asia: Impacts and Recommendations” (read here) was drawn from two of Asia Centre reports: Hate speech in Southeast Asia, New forms, Old Rules and Harmony Laws in Southeast Asia: Majority Dominance, Minority Repression. Dr. James Gomez was one of several keynote speakers invited by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID), a Qatar-based institution founded in 2007. DICID encourages and supports dialogue between religions and peaceful coexistence among adherents of different religions. This is the second occasion that Asia Centre’s Dr. James Gomez was a speaker at a DICID event. He spoke in October 2021 at a virtual symposium titled “Interfaith Dialogue on Conflict Transformation: towards a Paradigm of Change”. The symposium, held in partnership with the Nordic Center for Conflict Transformation, heard Dr Gomez provide an overview of “harmony laws” discriminating against ethnic-religious minorities in Southeast Asia. The 2022 DICID conference also provided Asia Centre’s Dr. James Gomez the added opportunity to meet and discuss future collaboration with Nordic Center for Conflict Transformation’s Noufal Abboud as noted in their March 2022 Memorandum of Understanding, which the two organisations signed to partner on activities and projects between the Middle East and Southeast Asia regions. Hence, on 26 May 2022, both Dr. James Gomez and Mr.Noufal met with Dr. Ghassan Elkahlout, Assistant Professor and Head of Conflict Management and Humanitarian Work, and other representatives of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. They discussed possible collaborations between the institutions. Separately, Dr. James Gomez was also able to meet with Keneshbek Sainazarov, Director of Asia, Search for Common Ground to discuss a research project on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia. While, Mr. Noufal Abboud, met with Dr. Moataz El Fegiery of the Human Rights Program of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, to discuss collaboration possibilities. With Doha, Qatar being based in the Middle East and straddling both Asia and Europe, Asia Centre hopes to deepen its engagement with Doha-based institutions moving forward.
Electoral Reforms Can Ensure Multiparty Democracy In Southeast Asia
A range of electoral reforms are needed if multiparty democracy is to take root in Southeast Asia. Reforms related to electoral laws, the media, independence of election management boards and the voting age formed the broad suite of ideas that emerged from speakers of the parallel session “Multiparty Democracy in Southeast Asia” during the 2022 Gwangju Democracy Forum convened by Asia Centre. Co-convened with the May 18 Foundation – a South Korean organisation founded in commemoration of the May 18 Uprising – the 19 May 2022 online event was as part of the Gwangju Democracy Forum, an annual international conference held by the Foundation. This is the second occasion where Asia Centre has co-convened a panel during the Gwangju Democracy Forum. It first convened a panel in 2021, entitled “Freedom of Expression and Democracy in Asia”. Watch the 2021 panel discussion here. You can also read the article titled “Freedom of Expression A Fundamental Right” here. In his opening remarks and introduction of the panel, Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre said the key question to address is whether electoral systems in the region are a force for democracy or a force for authoritarian consolidation. For Southeast Asia, despite the plethora of elections at multiple levels, there is an increasing tendency that they end up with illiberal outcomes. Executive Director of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) Celito Arlegue discussed the result of the Philippines presidential election in 2022, following Bongbong Marcos’s victory. He noted Bongbong’s social media image revamp that had contributed to his electoral win. The election result underlines the weakening of political parties as independent institutions in favour of established political dynasties in the Philippines. Korbkusol Neelapaichit, a Research Coordinator at Asia Centre, updated on the Bangkok governor’s election and its implication for the upcoming general election. She highlighted that while women voters outnumber men voters, women candidates are underrepresented for the election as there are only 6 of them out of 31 candidates. She also pointed out that women candidates, especially in the South, have been facing gendered attacks. She predicts that this bias towards women has the risk of repeating itself at the national elections. Speaking from the Cambodian perspective, Sokunthea Chhan, Media Development Director of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM), focused on the media’s role in the upcoming commune elections scheduled for 5 June 2022. She emphasised the important role of independent media in helping political parties voice and broadcast their opinion. However, in the run-up to the communal elections, there continue to be restrictions on the activity of independent media. Senior Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, Taylor’s University in Malaysia, Dr. Benjamin Loh Yew Hoong, discussed the introduction of youth voters (aged 18-21) into the Malaysian election system. Due to the lack of media literacy, he said youth risk being susceptible to disinformation during elections. He voiced his concerns that disinformation could herald the possible return of disgraced elites – naively well received by the youth – to power. The panel discussion served as an important launching pad for Asia Centre 8th International Conference scheduled for 23 to 25 August 2023 titled “Democracy And Elections in Asia”. In his closing remarks, Dr. Gomez announced the issue of multiparty democracy is a theme, the Centre will track over the next couple of years. Please stay tuned for Asia Centre’s International Conference on Multiparty Democracy In Asia in 2023. Meanwhile, see the update for the Centre’s 7th International Conference: Freedom of Expression in Asia, to be held on 24-26 August 2022. Visit the Facebook events page for the Conference here.
Asia Centre’s Steps Up its Engagement in Geneva
Giving effect to its 5-year strategic plan to 2027, to step up its engagement with UN human rights mechanisms and international organisations, Asia Centre undertook an outreach mission to Geneva, Switzerland during April 2022. This mission stems from the Centre’s continuous growth over the past seven years which has seen it achieve the following: Recognition as a research institute in the regional and Thai landscape on democracy, rights and geopolitical issues, Establishment of a branch in Malaysia, Production of seminal, policy-oriented knowledge products on democracy and human rights in the region, Building networks across the region on critical issues (business and human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief and human rights mechanisms), Engaging in policy oriented advocacy aimed at achieving progressive social impact, Participating in policy processes that promote human rights through civil society and parliamentary networks in Southeast Asia and in research networks in South Asia, and Advising Thai-based foreign embassies on regional affairs. Similar missions were undertaken by Asia Centre to Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, India and the United States between 2015 and 2022. A forthcoming mission to Canada will take forward such strategic outreach. Spearheaded by Dr. Robin Ramcharan, the Centre’s mission to Geneva from 7 to 22 April followed a similar mission in 2020, prior to the pandemic. On this occasion, the Centre secured its access to the Geneva International and to UN premises. It also explored collaboration with think tanks and IOs in Geneva. Building on existing relationships and work the UN mechanisms and civil society organisations in Southeast Asia, it seeks to take its advocacy to a higher plane through the establishment of a representation office in Geneva and building coalitions with like-minded think-tanks and CSOs. Dr. Ramcharan discussed the Centre’s work and strategy with Ambassador Salman Bal, who heads the Geneva International, a platform that services major international organisations and NGOs in Geneva. This was undertaken with a view to setting up a representation office. The Centre therefore filed its registration papers with the Centre d’Acceuil de la Genève International (CAGI), or Geneva Welcome Centre. This step signifies clearly the Centre’s intention to step up its human rights dialogue with stakeholders from the regional level to the international level, to contribute to upholding universal human rights norms and to realizing progressive change at the ground level. Dr. Ramcharan also met with a number of organisations and think tanks, including the Geneva Human Rights Platform of the Geneva Academy for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. He and Mr. Domenico Zipoli of the Platform explored collaboration on projects aimed at increasing the compliance of states with their obligations to human rights treaty bodies. He also explored potential collaboration on rule of law and justice issues with Mr. Marc Cassayre, Permanent Representative in Geneva of the Rome-based International Development Law Organisation (IDLO). Both the Centre and IDLO share common interests in a producing knowledge tools on key justice issues. He informed other Geneva-based institutions about the work of the Centre, including the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Mr. Tshimanga Kongolo of the WIPO Academy was apprised of the work of the Centre. The WIPO engages on global issues connected to intellectual property rights such as the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, the right to health and the right to a clean environment. This outreach, builds on Asia Centre’s prior engagement with Geneva-based organisations in February 2020.
Disinformation Winner of 2022 Philippines Presidential Election
Disinformation, and lots over it over social media, was the predicted winner of the 2022 Philippines Presidential Elections. This was the sentiment of speakers and respondents as well as the results of 2 online polls on 3 May 2022 during an event to commemorate World Press Freedom Day. Entitled, “2022 Philippines Presidential Election: Fake Accounts, Bots, and Trolls”, Asia Centre, in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Southeast and East Asia convened a roundtable discussion to assess the impact of social media on mainstream media and election campaigning. (Watch the TikTok here, the event video here, and see event photos here) Officiated by Vanessa Steinmetz, the regional project coordinator at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Southeast and East Asia, and Dr. James Gomez, regional director of Asia Centre, the event welcomed the speakers, reactors, and participants to examine how social media platforms were impacting the election campaign. Setting the stage, Marites Vitug, editor-at-large at Rappler, said disinformation over social media has been used by the lead presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his supporters since the 2016 vice-presidential election to positively branding of Bongbong, while negatively affecting his rival Leni Robredo. Krixia Subingsubing, journalist from Philippine Daily Inquirer, expanded the analysis by pointing out that trolls and bots are part of a larger disinformation machinery that includes influencers, celebrities, and even government agencies that are working together to manipulate the public opinion or media outlets by using misleading content. Greg Kehailia, country director of Internews Philippines, explained that since 2016, actions have been taken by Filipino stakeholders to combat disinformation, but it has become a huge problem for the 2022 Presidential Election as fake news is more numerous, more tailored, and more widespread. Eunice Barbara of Inquirer.net, pointed out that professional journalists face challenges in debunking disinformation over social media. She said that the fact-based reporting by mainstream media is actually seen as biased by a large swath of the electorate, making it even more difficult to counter disinformation. Reacting to the speakers, Joel Mark Barredo, Executive Director of SHAPE-SEA, said that disinformation is dismantling the democratic infrastructure that has been rebuilt following the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos. He suggested cutting demand for the disinformation “industry” through accountability and critical consciousness of fake news. Dr. Analiza Perez-Amurao, of the Humanities and Language Division at Mahidol University International College, raised questions on the role of social media companies in addressing disinformation. Referring to her background as an educator, she pointed to the importance of media and digital literacy for the youth. Ed Legaspi, Former Executive Director of SEAPA focused on the role of the election commission and rules governing election propaganda in the Philippines. He said to date the role of COMELEC has been poor and late in addressing the problem of disinformation during elections. He recommended that this weakness be addressed for future elections. From the discussion during the event, it was clear that during the 2022 Philippines Presidential Election campaign disinformation has spiked over compared to the 2016 elections. There is a real risk disinformation might become mainstream, and mainstream media sidelined. Fact-checking and media literacy, while important, are proving inadequate in tackling the issue effectively. The event was covered by BenarNews, read ‘Filipino journalists, experts allege online attacks, disinformation from Marcos camp’