Asia Centre Panel Discussion at ASEAN Civil Society Conference / ASEAN Peoples’ Forum Side Event 2023
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), published a report entitled “Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in Southeast Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance” and two policy briefs, Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in South Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance and Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in East Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance in early 2023 to explore how governments used state powers during the COVID-19 pandemic to derogate rights and extend these powers post-pandemic. The report and policy briefs provide recommendations for governments, international organisations, and CSOs to improve democratic governance after the pandemic. The SEA report and country studies on Indonesia and Thailand were presented in a panel at the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 2 September 2023 by the Asia Centre team consisting of regional director Dr James Gomez, research manager Dr Marc Piñol Rovira, research associate Ekmongkhon Puridej with Advisory Board Member Nukila Evanty. Following the ACSC/APF 2023 theme “Reclaiming safe spaces, restoring democracy and equity in Southeast Asia!”, the one-and-a-half-hour session gave the audience an overview of the COVID-19 restrictions in Southeast Asia, with a special focus on Indonesia and Thailand. Dr James Gomez opened the panel by providing a background overview of the impact of COVID-19 in ASEAN countries and noted that much of the impacts from the implemented restrictive laws lasted and prevailed into the post-COVID-19 pandemic era today. Dr Marc Rovira continued by assessing how governments in the region implemented the emergency measures and the laws used to curb the civic freedoms of its citizens in the name of national security against the spread of the disease. For the case study of Indonesia, Nukilla Evanty delineates how the emergency measures in Indonesia have resulted in an increased number of attacks towards those who are critical of government policies. In the case of Thailand, Ekmongkhon Puridej explained the power and the misuse of the Emergency Decree which resulted in restrictions on freedom of assembly and the chilling of free speech. He also gave a brief overview of the advocacy efforts by the civil society in the region and discussed the need to include rights-protecting provisions in a possible international pandemic treaty. To further promote the findings of the report to the larger public, Asia Centre also held a booth at the ACSC/APF 2023, providing digital copies of the report for the attendees of the conference. Many of the conference participants, which include civil society actors from across Southeast Asian countries and beyond, took interest in the report, which sparked engaging conversations at the booth. The ACSC/APF 2023 also provided the Asia Centre delegates the added opportunity to meet and present and discuss the report to the head of the Expertise Agency of The House of Representatives of The Republic of Indonesia (BKD), Dr. Inosentius Samsul. Asia Centre has previously signed a 5-year MoU with The Expertise Agency (BKD) in 2022 to establish a partnership between both organisations to jointly undertake and support the publishing of research outputs, execute teaching and training programmes, and develop course outlines and materials. Earlier this year, in April 2023, the policy brief on East Asia, “Moving Beyond COVID-19 Restrictions in East Asia: Pushing Back Against Authoritarian Pandemic Governance,” was presented by Dr James Gomez at the Tokyo Democracy Forum meeting, which was organised on the sidelines of the C7 Summit in Japan. By disseminating these insights and engaging with a diverse audience at the conference and beyond in Indonesia, Asia Centre continues to play a pivotal role in advocating for democratic principles and upholding human rights in Southeast Asia. For more information on the report and its findings, please visit the provided link. For more photos of Asia Centre’s involvement in the ACSC/APF 2023, please visit Asia Centre’s Facebook page here. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org.
Asia Centre Launches Report on Political Hate Sites in Singapore
On 8 July 2023, Asia Centre held a discussion panel for the launch of its newest report, Political Hate Sites in Singapore: Flourishing without Repercussions. The event, jointly organised with two Singapore-based independent media platforms: The Independent Singapore and Wake Up Singapore, gained over 30 participants. To promote the launch event, Asia Centre released two promotional videos on its social media platforms introducing what are political hate sites in Singapore. Additionally, The Independent Singapore, one of the organising partners, published a promotional pre-event article, and The Online Citizen, a regional news platform based in Taiwan, released an audio post of Dr James Gomez, Asia Centre’s regional director, providing a summarised definition of political hate sites. Shortly after its release on 8 July 2023, Agencia EFE, a Spanish international news agency, reported the findings of the report in its article “Aumentan los discursos de odio contra opositores y activistas en Singapur, según estudio” (Hate speech against opponents and activists on the rise in Singapore, study finds) with SWI swissinfo.ch – the Swiss news and information platform. This is followed by another article published by The Online Citizen, a regional news platform based in Taiwan on 9 July 2023, “Asia Centre report highlights the proliferation of unchecked hate sites in Singapore” to share its findings. Besides, the key research findings were also promoted via an online campaign with infographics and infographic video posted on Asia Centre’s social media platforms, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok. The event, held at Palms Bistro, Singapore, was attended by lay Singaporeans, members of the opposition political parties, media activists and journalists of independent media platforms. Dr James Gomez, Asia Centre’s regional director, delivered the presentation about the report’s findings and highlighted how many Singaporeans often overlook the existence of such political hate sites due to the normalisation of hate speech in political discourse and debate in Parliament and the mainstream media. Through the 3 phases of internet control and various laws and legislations, the state has controlled and regulated political discourse and participation of the opposition parties, media advocates, independent journalists and media platforms, thereby narrowing the space of critical political discourse both offline and online. The report has identified the proliferation of hate content and hate sites online as the fourth phase of internet control, whereby Dr James expounded on the traits, tactics and targets of political hate sites by presenting 4 case studies as identified by the report. Moderated by Craig Teo of Reverse Auction & Financial Services Consultant, the findings were further discussed by Wendy Low of Eldan Law LLP, Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss, a prominent lawyer with 30 years of experience and a former politician, and Kumaran Pillai of The independent Singapore. Wendy Low presented over a pre-recorded video the strategies that victims of online hate speech can utilise to seek legal justice against their perpetrators through four main strategies; identifying the hater before taking legal actions, building one’s narrative through independent news platforms to amplify one’s side of the story, remaining above board by exercising transparency in the investigation process and using existing laws on harassments (such as POHA) against the perpetrators of hate. Jeannette Chong Aruldoss pointed out that the public has generally accepted certain behaviours and speech which disable them from identifying the hate narratives contained within them. Hate speech is a dangerous, divisive tool to society and must be curbed not just by legislation but also by civic actions from the members of society. Bringing in the insider’s perspective as an independent media practitioner, Kumaran Pillai asserts that the incumbent political party has distorted the online landscape for political discourse and restricts the space for different political parties and the general public to contest for the best ideas through constructive debates on policies and to call for accountability of public officials. In the report, Asia Centre recommends the international community, UN bodies, Singapore parliament, political parties, tech companies, and civil society organisations to 1) monitor, document, and call out cases of online hate speech in Singapore; 2) use UN mechanisms to engage with the Singaporean government to address political hate speech and commit itself to international standards of freedom of expression; 3) advocate for the amendment of laws restricting freedom of expression; 4) develop new technology solutions to improve the detection of online hate speech; and 5) work cooperatively to consider everyone’s views in the development of new strategies to address online hate speech. This small cluster of critical voices is a manifestation of a larger, suppressed and silent resistance to the ruling regime in Singapore. Improved internet freedoms and safety to voice criticisms will provide the necessary valve to express democratic aspirations in Singapore without risking unnecessary and abrupt political upheavals. Read the full report here. You can also watch the TikTok video of the report launch event here, as well as the infographic video here. This report is Asia Centre’s first report on Singapore. The Centre has published four other reports on internet freedoms in Southeast Asia: Internet Freedoms in Malaysia: Regulating Online Discourse on Race, Religion, and Royalty (2023) Internet Freedoms in Cambodia: A Gateway to Control (2021) Timor-Leste: Internet Freedoms Under Threat (2021) Myanmar: Dismantling Dissent – Crackdowns on Internet Freedoms (2021) Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org.
Team Malaysia Wins Hackathon on ASEAN-EU Relations: Will Travel to Germany
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 EU or the promotion of human rights and democracy. The ten teams were selected from a pool of 175 applications originating from various East and Southeast Asian countries. After several rounds of evaluations conducted by the Asia Centre, FNF Regional Office, and FNF Country Offices, these were the ten participating teams in the Hackathon: Indonesia A: Muhammad Ridho Izzulhaq and Aryo Bagas Indonesia B: Muhammad Ananda Maulana and Chendy Pusputa Malaysia: Nurilly Rania Jusly and Dean Delaina Denis Ejoh Myanmar: Myat Thu and Eaindray Myint Mo Philippines: Prince Ernest Eugene Ronson D. Sabado and Crizelle Quiniquini Joya South Korea: Ha Neul Kim and Truston Yu Taiwan: Hui En Chang and Ting Yu Sun Thailand A: Pakornwit Wiangsripanawan and Apisara Haingsa Thailand B: Narisara Charoensap and Kamonchai Chalee Vietnam: Nhi Dung Hoang and Trang Minh Nguyen The Hackathon activities spanned three days and included an introduction, keynote speeches, hacking sessions and project presentations. On the first day, the Hackathon kicked off with opening remarks by Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre, and Mr Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff, Head of the Regional Office of Southeast and East Asia of Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Following the opening remarks, Dr Marc Pinol Rovira, Research Manager of Asia Centre, introduced the policy report “EU-ASEAN Relations in Light of the War in Ukraine”, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of deeper integration between the two blocs. The keynote speeches were delivered by Dr Vachararutai Boontinand from Mahidol University and Dr Suwannarat Meesomboonpoonsuk from Thammasat University. Dr Boontinand’s speech focused on human rights and democracy in the ASEAN-EU integration, while Dr Meesomboonpoonsuk discussed existing economic cooperation between ASEAN and EU and provided examples of economic and institutional limitations faced by both blocs. On the second day, teams were assigned to one of the four mentors: Associate Professor Surachanee Sriyai and Associate Professor Dr Narut Charoensri from Chiang Mai University and Dr Marc Piñol Rovira and Lina Sakina Salim from the Asia Centre. Each team thereafter had several hacking sessions to develop their projects and separately consulted with their assigned mentors to identify potential challenges and come up with solutions. In the afternoon of the third day, the teams showcased their projects to over 40 members of the public. The judging panel consisted of Dr James Gomez from Asia Centre, Asst. Prof. Dr Natthanan Kunnamas from Chulalongkorn University, and Ed Legaspi, former Executive Director of SEAPA (Southeast Asian Press Alliance). These were the presentations by the ten teams: Indonesia A: DemocraSEA Indonesia B: ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership on Critical Raw Materials Malaysia: Connecting Futures: ASEAN-EU Changemaker Ambassador Myanmar: Garmify Philippines: Bridging the Gap of Educational Inequalities South Korea: Programme on EU-ASEAN Connectivity Taiwan: Med It Together Thailand A: Foodscape Thailand B: Identity Diversity Vietnam: EduStation After each presentation, the three judges had the opportunity to ask questions to all presenters, allowing the teams to elaborate further on their projects. The combined scores of the three judges resulted in Team Malaysia being declared the winner of the regional hackathon. As a result, Team Malaysia will present its project at the upcoming FNF Annual Conference in Berlin, Germany, in October 2023. Watch the highlights of the Hackathon
Oxfam Young Leaders Fellowship Programme 2023 Kicks Off
A total of seven speakers, one facilitator, three project coaches, and two field visits made up the programme activity for Induction Meeting for eight Oxfam Fellows from 10 to 14 July 2023 in Bangkok, co-convened by Asia Centre and Oxfam. The Induction Meeting was part of the Oxfam Young Leaders Fellowship Programme 2023, which aims to provide tools to empower young people with hands-on training and close mentorship to strengthen their capacity to make social change happen. The eight fellows, constituting the inaugural cohort of the fellowship programme, who participated in the event are Lamia Mohsin from Bangladesh, Sanjana Chettri and Soumya Mishra from India, Chikita Edrini Marpaung from Indonesia, Wajid Zahid from Pakistan, Ellenor Bartolome and Gerald John C. Guillermo from the Philippines, and Ricardo Valente Araujo from Timor-Leste. Fellows were selected from a diverse pool of over 400 candidates from Asia by the judginging panel consisting of Oxfam, Asia Centre, and external judges. Together, they represent a group of individuals with a strong determination to bring about positive change within their respective societies. They have devised innovative ideas aimed at improving their communities and have taken steps towards implementing them. Their projects are focused on addressing pressing global issues, such as climate justice, women’s rights, and the preservation of civic space. The induction meeting consisted of five leadership modules: “Development Challenges of Our Era,” “The Role of CSOs,” “Global Development Actors and their Legitimacy,” “Gender Justice in Today’s World,” and “Youth Leadership and Advocacy and Campaigning Tools.” These modules were specifically designed to equip the fellows with the essential skills required for their project implementation. Both the Asia Centre and Oxfam had their staff participate as lecturers for these modules. Representing the Asia Centre were Dr James Gomez, the Regional Director, and Dr Marc Pinol Rovira, the Centre’s Research Manager. Joining them from Oxfam in Asia were John Samuel, Regional Director, and Mustafa Talpur, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns. Eight speakers who work on a wide range of global issues were invited to share their knowledge and experiences with the fellows: Minh Tran, from Stockholm Environment Institute. Wilfried Herrmann, from Human Development Forum Foundation Hnin Wut Yee, form Corporate Accountability Myanmar Poramet Tangsathaporn, from Bangkok Post Wipaphan Wongsawang, from Thaiconsent Kewalin Sa-ngapet, from Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Saijai Liangpunsakul, from Myanmar Witness And Matt Yutthaworakool, from ASEAN Youth Advisory Group. The Fellows made two site visits, one to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) and another to Google Thailand. At FCCT, they interacted with renowned journalists such as Fransesca Regalado, Bangkok correspondent of Nikkei Asia, Rebecca Ratcliffe, Southeast Asia correspondent of Guardian News and Media, and Jonathan Head, Southeast Asia correspondent of BBC News. This encounter shed light on how media can play a crucial role in implementing the fellows’ projects under the fellowship programme. At Google Thailand, the Fellows participated in a workshop on Digital Verification, learning about information disorders and tools to verify online information. Throughout the sessions that were organised during the induction meeting, the fellows had the opportunity to present their project to other fellows as well as to Asia Centre and Oxfam. Chettri’s initiative is to build political consciousness among first-generation learners in India’s northeast region. Zahid’s project aims to train journalists and online content creators on fair and inclusive representation of marginalised groups. Mishra’s podcast will chronicle the stories of queer-disabled individuals in India. Mohsin’s presentation focused on training young people living in disaster-prone areas of Bangladesh. Valente Araujo proposed a virtual community platform for Gen Z to express their views on social issues. Marpaung planned to provide legal education to young people about their fundamental human rights. Guillermo aimed at creating opportunities for Filipino youth to participate in formal political and governance processes. Bartolome’s presentation was on training aspiring young public servants and youth leaders through five different modules. The presentations were followed by constructive Q&A sessions involving the fellows and members of Asia Centre and Oxfam. The fellows also received valuable feedback from Asia Centre and Oxfam to enhance their project planning. Towards the end of the meeting, the fellows shared their impressions and reflections. 67 percent of the fellows think the meeting has significantly increased their knowledge on the implementation of their project, according to the survey. One fellow noted that “the feedback received from coaches, particularly regarding innovation and social entrepreneurship models for sustainability, will undoubtedly assist me in making my initiatives more effective and sustainable”. One conclusion shared by the fellows is that the fellowship programme has not only taught them how to become leaders but will also inspire others to become leaders and make social changes. Over the course of the next nine months, under the guidance and mentorship of Asia Centre and Oxfam, these fellows will carry out their transformative initiatives in their home countries. Get to know the eight fellows and their projects Watch the highlights of the induction meeting
Asia Centre Launches Report on Burmanisation and Buddhisation
On 13 June 2023, Asia Centre and FORSEA held a virtual launch and discussion of Asia Centre’s latest report Burmanisation and Buddhisation: The Coup’s Impact on Religious Minorities. The event, which was hosted on FORSEA’s Youtube channel, received over 60 views within the first night. The report was first released online to the public and the media on 8 June 2023. The next day, The Online Citizen published an article, “Asia Centre highlights Myanmar’s alarming erosion of religious rights in new report.” Asia Centre was also invited to present the report at a closed-door meeting with representatives of INGOs and local partners interested in the state of FoRB in Myanmar. This meeting not only discussed the impacts of the 2021 coup on the state of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Myanmar and the ideologies of Burmanisation and Buddhisation, but also included a discussion about the impact of FoRB violations on indigenous peoples and their commitment to environmental protection. The key research findings were additionally promoted via an online campaign with infographics posted on Asia Centre’s social media platforms, Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram. In less than a week of releasing the report online, there have already been over 1,500 downloads. In the report launch event, Dr. Gomez elaborated on the definitions of “Burmanisation and Buddhisation”, framing these two concepts as political ideologies of the Military in its pursuit of combatting terrorism and national security threats posed by the diverse ethno-religious communities of the nation. The discussion also brought comparisons between the situation in Myanmar with neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Malaysia on the politicisation of national and religious identities to serve the aims of the ruling governments. The report launch also highlighted the recommendations that can be adopted by the international community, INGOs, and CSOs to reduce the impact of the coup on Religious Freedoms in Myanmar. While the government is strongly urged to review, repeal and amend laws that are discriminatory, NGOs and CSOs have an active role to monitor and report the infringement of rights by the state. The report aims to provide a baseline study on the state of freedom of religion or belief, and how developments related to the 2021 coup have impacted the rights of ethno-religious minorities. The policy report is part of Asia Centre’s FoRB Knowledge Hub efforts to publish evidence-based research and increase advocacy for the religious rights of people in Southeast Asia. Read the full report here. Watch the YouTube livestream recording here. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org.
Asia Centre and Oxfam Announce Fellows for the Oxfam Young Leaders Fellowship Programme 2023
Asia Centre and Oxfam in Asia are pleased to announce the fellows for the Oxfam Young Leaders Fellowship Programme 2023! The fellowship will provide tools to empower young people with hands-on training and close mentorship to strengthen their capacity to make social change happen. These individuals have been carefully chosen from a diverse pool of over 400 candidates hailing from Asia. These eight fellows represent a group of remarkable individuals who possess the vision and determination to bring about positive change within their respective societies. They have devised innovative ideas aimed at improving their communities and have taken steps towards implementing them. Their projects are focused on addressing pressing global issues, such as climate justice, women’s rights, and the preservation of civic space. Over the course of the next nine months, under the guidance and mentorship of Asia Centre and Oxfam, these fellows will carry out their transformative initiatives in their home countries. Dr James Gomez Regional Director, Asia Centre Congratulations to all the talented young people who have been selected for the Oxfam Young Leaders Fellowship Programme 2023! Your passion, innovative ideas, and commitment to social justice are commendable. This fellowship is a remarkable opportunity to make a real impact in addressing pressing issues such as inequality, climate change, and gender justice. Through mentorship, training, and international exposure, you will gain invaluable skills and connections to bring about positive change. Asia Centre eagerly looks forward to witnessing the incredible contributions you will make. Best of luck on this exciting journey! To know more about the fellows, download and read the Oxfam Fellowship – Meet The Fellows Booklet here.
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 support of ICNL to assess the situation of internet freedoms in the region and improve digital rights through advocacy work, public engagement, UN human rights mechanism engagement and network-building. The Regional Conference was organised for the following purposes: to assess the situation of internet freedoms in the region; identify key trends; and find new solutions to improve freedoms of people in accessing and using the internet. To frame the conference and identify key trends of internet freedoms in the region, Asia Centre set the scene by outlining the overarching themes across its four reports on internet freedoms in Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Cambodia and Malaysia published between 2021-2023. Common themes across the reports were: the inclusion of “internet” as a human right; compliance with international standards of internet freedoms; measures taken by state authorities that violate and restrict internet freedoms; and the joint role of parliamentarians and CSOs in drafting rights-based legislation and establishing oversight mechanisms. The two-day conference included four panel discussions. The first panel “Internet as a Human Rights in Southeast Asia” assessed the necessary conditions for the use of the internet including infrastructure, fair access and affordability. In the second panel “International Standards of Internet Freedoms”, panellists and participants identified the gaps between international and national legislations in Southeast Asia. In the third panel – “Impacts of Internet Freedoms in Southeast Asia – speakers from CSOs pointed out that individuals, as well as organisations in Southeast Asia, are subjected to prosecution, censorship, and online harassment. In the last and fourth panel, parliamentarians and CSOs jointly spoke to the challenges facing their partnership and outlined how they can work better together. Following the panel discussions, the conference moved to group discussions to identify and prioritise strategies to ensure internet freedoms in Southeast Asia both at the regional and national levels. Guided by these discussions, a roadmap was plotted. At the regional level, the possibilities to undertake four main actions were established. First, CSOs shall form national and regional coalitions to arrive at a common understanding of access to the internet being a human right, to mutually learn from each other, and to mobilise stakeholders for policy intervention. Second, as individual organisations or as national and/or regional coalitions, CSOs should advocate and encourage governments to: (1) enhance monitoring mechanisms, (2) build human capacity to raise digital literacy, (3) invest in physical infrastructure expansion and lower prices, (4) localise community guidelines reflect positive cultural norms and (5) encourage context-specific and participatory content moderation practices by social media platforms, while acknowledging local languages and contexts. Additionally, when engaging MPs with these topics, CSOs should draft bills which can be presented to parliamentarians in order to increase the likelihood of parliamentarians taking them up for the necessary action. Third, discussants also noted the lack of political will to promote internet freedoms across the region. Thus, government representatives and MPs were urged to agree on access to the internet as a human right. Furthermore, parliamentarians were cajoled to openly collaborate with CSOs in the course of drafting relevant laws. In doing so, it was noted that it might be beneficial to foster cross-ministerial initiatives to design the laws in a holistic manner. In this way, the drafting process contributes to a sound legal system that improves internet freedoms. Fourth and finally, the participants agreed to national multi-stakeholder committees, situated outside the government, which include lawyers, journalists, CSOs and HRDs. Their task would be to exercise oversight over governmental actions and to raise awareness on internet freedoms. The regional conference brought the three-year IFSEA project nearer to its close. In the next 6 months, before the project officially ends, the Asia Centre IFSEA country project partners (CamboJA and Kyrss Network) will make UPR submissions and meet one last time to brainstorm possible future alliterations of the project. To find out more about the event and see more pictures, please see event pictures here and a TikTok Video. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org.
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 Hub, was attended by representatives from diplomatic services, civil society organisations, human rights activists, lawyers, journalists and those from the tech sector. Korbkusol Neelapaichit, Researcher, Asia Centre who led the research for the report, highlighted four key impacts of state-sponsored disinformation on Thailand’s electoral integrity. First, using state resources to promote a positive image of the establishment undermines the integrity of elections since the government uses its incumbent advantage over opposition parties for positive electoral messaging. Second, IOs are weaponised to harass politicians and activists from marginalised groups such as women, LGBT+ and ethno-religious minorities, obstructing their meaningful electoral participation. Third, they distort information related to the electoral process and discredit selected political parties and their policies, depriving voters of verified alternative information for their decision-making. Fourth, state-sponsored disinformation stir hatred and exacerbate existing ideological divisions within society leading to extreme political polarisation. Moderated by Asia Centre’s Dr James Gomez, the findings were further discussed by Kunthika Nutcharut, Attorney from Krisadang Law and Accounting Office, Dr. Sipim Sornbanlang, Lecturer from Srinakharinwirot University, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, Legal Fellow from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, Director of Cross-Cultural Foundation. Kunthika Nutcharut pointed out how disinformation campaigns have been sponsored by the state from time to time to stir hatred in society. In the past, disinformation campaigns were disseminated via state-owned radio stations. Today, IOs are carried out online especially to attack human rights defenders and political activists. From a cyber security perspective, Dr. Sipim Sornbanlang provided insight into why the state sponsors IOs. She explained that the state agencies, especially the military, run IOs as part of their mission to protect the monarchy and state institutions. This stems from a perception that democratisation threatens national security. In line with the report findings, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate described that IOs are strategised to attack both individuals and organisations. He validated his statement by sharing several legal cases, where there was evidence of state-supported information operations. However, he noted, there is no attempt to hold the state to account. Using examples from Thailand’s South where there is ongoing ethno-religious conflict, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet explained that IOs form part of state suppression of expression in the South. Such actions, she said, curtail meaningful political participation. In the report, Asia Centre recommends relevant stakeholders take the following key actions: restrain from undertaking information operations; identify state agencies and report the type and targets of information operations; focus on providing voters with reliable and verified electoral information; and take measures to ensure electoral integrity through free and fair elections. These and other measures will help cast a light on state-sanctioned information operations with a view to addressing their impact on election integrity and political participation. Read the full report here. You can also watch the TikTok video of the report launch event here. This report is Asia Centre’s third baseline study on Thailand. In June 2022, the Centre released its first report entitled Thailand Computer Crime Act: Restricting Digital Rights, Silencing Online Critics which reviews the provisions of the 2007 Computer Crime Act (CCA) and its 2017 amendment, as well as their impact on digital rights in Thailand. Later in August 2022, the Centre released its second report on Internet Freedoms in Thailand which reviews and analyses legislation that impacts internet freedoms in Thailand. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org.
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 Parliament, Dr. Gomez was pleasantly surprised to learn from Pinto Cardoso, Director of Parliamentary Research and Advisory Office that the Asia Centre and ICNL report and Asia Centre’s op-ed in the Jakarta Post, “Timor-Leste’s Internet Freedoms at Risk”, was cited in a briefing note on the cyber security law to Parliament. From 14-16 February 2023, Dr. Gomez called on MP Antonio Tilman, Deputy-Secretary of the Board and member of the Kunto Party, Isabel Maria B.F. Ximenes (President of the Bench, Frente Mudanca), Antonio Benevedious, (President of the Bench, United Party for Development and Democracy (PUDD) and David Dias Ximenes, President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) to discuss Asia Centre’s report on internet freedoms in Timor-Leste. The message was political parties and parliamentarians have a role in improving internet freedoms. The highlight of the trip was a meeting with the President of the Republic, Dr. José Manuel Ramos-Horta, at the Presidential Palace. The meeting was a closed-door meeting in which several issues were discussed including the findings from the Asia Centre and ICNL report. Following the meeting, Dr.Gomez addressed a media door-stop, in which he shared with journalists some public information on Asia Centre’s plans to engage with Timor-Leste’s universities and think-tanks. The meeting with President Ramos-Horta was widely covered over local media. During this trip, Dr. Gomez also visited Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ), a local private university and discussed with its representative possible future activities. Other stakeholders, Dr. Gomez met Virgilio da Silva Guterres Lamukan, Ombudsman, on 16 February 2023. All in all, Asia Centre’s engagement with the political leadership of Timor-Leste and other stakeholders set the framework of future cooperation with political parties, parliamentarians, the parliamentary secretariat and its research and policy unit, the government ombudsman, and representatives of Timorese think-tanks and universities. The report, in partnership with International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), analyses the state of internet freedoms against the background of emerging national legislation pertaining to online content and privacy of data. Read the full report here. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org.
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, it also published an opinion piece, Internet freedom, an essential human right — James Gomez | Malay Mail by Dr James Gomez. The Vibes, published another opinion piece, Race, religion, and royalty to shape M’sian politics – James Gomez | Opinion | The Vibes also by Dr James Gomez. There were also two podcasts on the report. On 25 January 2023, Dr Gomez recorded a podcast discussion with Dina Zaman (a Malaysian commentator) moderated by ABC News journalist Ali Moore. The podcast was for a programme, Ear to Asia, produced by the Asia Institute, Melbourne University, that is also syndicated to the Jakarta Post. Similarly, on questions related to the findings of the report, on 28 January 2023, Dr. Gomez recorded a podcast interview with journalist Philip See for BFM’s podcast Pressing Matters: BFM: The Business Station – Podcast How Has Online Discourse Shaped Conversation On Sensitive Topics In Malaysia? that was published on 30 January 2023. The key research findings were additionally promoted via an online campaign with infographics posted on Asia Centre’s social media platforms, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and Tiktok. This included an animated infographic video summarising the key arguments and recommendations of the report, and it was premiered during the report launch. When presenting the report during the launch, Dr. Gomez outlined Asia Centre’s recommendations that can be adopted by relevant government agencies, parliamentarians, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and NGOs, as well as tech companies to mitigate the obstruction of internet freedoms in Malaysia. While the government is strongly urged to review, repeal and amend laws that are detrimental to internet freedoms, parliamentarians, human rights advocates and NGOs have an active role to monitor and report the infringement of rights by the state. Tech companies are also urged to increase their transparency in dealing with the state to mitigate the biased removal of content on their platforms. Following the presentation during the report launch, the findings were discussed by Tham Jia Vern, Independent Researcher, #TrackerBenci Lead, Dr Syaza Shukri, Assistant Professor, IIUM, Dina Zaman, Co-founder, Iman Research, and Wathshlah Naidu, Executive Director, Center for Independent Journalism. The panel was moderated by Lina Sakina Salim, the centre coordinator of Asia Centre Malaysia. Tham Jia Vern discussed how approaches towards curbing hate speech online should be diversified beyond activating legal measures. By introducing her work in developing #trackerbenci, an AI-driven tracker identifying hate speech on Twitter, Jia Vern shared how technologies can be used positively to counter dangerous narratives online. Next, Dr Syaza elaborated on how GE15 was impacted by the different ideological views held by the Malays, namely – conservatism and populist Islam. She further added that while freedom of expression in the country has progressed over decades after Malaysia’s independence, it does not guarantee internet freedom for all. In her elaboration, Dina Zaman provided insights towards understanding the voting patterns of the majority Malays. Although social media has both negatively and positively mobilised the community during the election period, she opinionated that curbing dissenting voices through legal mechanisms may pose more significant harm than good. Sharing the results of CIJ’s social media monitoring of GE15, Wathshlah Naidu, showcased how hate speech and disinformation can be manifested in various forms online and addressed the need to provide better digital literacy which is accessible by all members of society. The report, in partnership with International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), aims to provide a baseline study on the state of internet freedoms in Malaysia, and how socio-political developments related to race, religion and royalty has impacted the freedom of expression of its citizens. Read the full report here. Watch the Zoom recording of the event on our YouTube channel here. Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre, please send an expression of interest to contact@asiacentre.org.