Report Launch: COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia: Building Resilience, Fighting Authoritarianism

On 9 December 2020, Asia Centre will release a baseline study that evaluates the state of democracy and human rights in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia: Building Resilience, Fighting Authoritarianism” outlines how Southeast Asian governments have taken the pandemic as an opportunity to tighten their grip over their citizens and the individuals who are within their borders. The research for the report, which is currently being undertaken (July to November 2020), covers the period from January to November 2020 of the situation in the Southeast Asian countries of Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It examines the emergency decrees and laws, the suspension of democratic activities, increased surveillance, and the framing of human rights activists as national security threats in the region. This is Asia Centre’s second baseline study in 2020 and the report is released to mark Human Rights Day, 10 December 2020. This report is currently under external review.

Speaker
Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre

Discussants
Dr. Rebecca (Bec) Strating, Executive Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University
Dr. Kristina Kironska, Researcher, Palacky University in Olomouc
Celito Arlegue, Executive Director, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD)
Patricia Galdamez, Senior Advisor, Permanent Secretariat, Community of Democracies

Moderator
Dr. Robin Ramcharan, Executive Director, Asia Centre

Sign Up Online: https://bit.ly/30B3uiu

Date: 9 December 2020

Time: 2 PM – 3.30 PM (Bangkok, Thailand GMT+7)

Registration from 1.45 PM

Contact: research@asiacentre.org