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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 […]

5th Benedict Anderson Memorial Roundtable: COVID-19 & Vaccine Nationalism

Asia Centre 128/183, Phayathai Plaza Building, 17th Floor, Phayathai Road, Thung-Phayathai, Rachatewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand

Due to high demand for a COVID-19 vaccine, there have been a number of pre-purchase agreements being made between governments and vaccine manufacturers to secure and prioritise a country's needs before others. This is now commonly known as ‘vaccine nationalism’. As a range of vaccines are being developed and tested in numerous clinical trials globally, […]

Report Launch: Defending Freedom of Expression

Abstract Defending Freedom of Expression: Fake News Laws in East and Southeast Asia published by Asia Centre and the Council of Asia Liberals and Democrats (CALD) examines the existing and recently enacted laws and policies in the region which govern disinformation. The aim of the report is to provide a policy tool of ideas to […]

Law and Lawlessness: Myanmar Coup and Human Rights

Law and Lawlessness: Myanmar Coup and Human Rights The February 2021 military coup in Myanmar, which sought to overturn the November 2021 free and fair election, flew in the face of the country’s own Constitutional provisions regarding public emergencies and respect for international human rights standards. The coup in Myanmar clearly defies constitutional commitments and […]

2020-21 Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award Ceremony

Asia Centre and Oxfam in Asia, welcome journalists, media scholars and students, those actively working for an equal society, and all interested people for the 2020-21 Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award Ceremony on 24 March 2021 at 2.00 PM (Bangkok Time, GMT+7) via Zoom Webinar. Hear from the journalists who wrote the 10 top […]

Under Attack: Academic Freedoms in Asia

Around the world academic freedom is increasingly coming under attack. The core value of academic freedom and what it means for society at large is also gaining more attention. For scholars and students, it means not only the freedom to research and teach but freedom of academic exchange. The Academic Freedom Index (2020) lists also […]

Celebrating Journalism: Reporting Without Fear

Attacks on media freedoms have intensified since the coronavirus (COVID-19) became a global pandemic in late March 2020, as governments seek to fend off criticisms of their mismanagement of the public health emergency. In Southeast Asia, the attack on journalists, media organisations, and the internet is largely led by governments and sitting political regimes in […]

Freedom of Expression and Democracy in Asia

At the 2021 Gwangju Democracy Forum, the panel will highlight how freedom of expression has become important in the struggle to enlarge the democratic space in Southeast Asia. Throughout 2020 and into early 2021, most countries in Southeast Asia have seen a steady decrease in their freedom of expression. Actions taken by governments and political […]

Timor-Leste: Internet Freedoms Under Threat

Across Southeast Asia freedoms of expression have been backsliding, Timor-Leste has not escaped this regression. While the Constitution has rights guarantees, national laws however are inconsistent with the Constitution and the international standards to which it subscribes. With gaps that may lead to litigation or censorship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has proposed a […]

Report Launch: Timor-Leste: Internet Freedoms Under Threat

SIGN UP HERE: https://bit.ly/3vYuXYl Abstract: Timor-Leste: Internet Freedoms Under Threat analyses the state of internet freedoms against the background of emerging national legislation pertaining to online content and privacy of data. With the rise in internet and social media usage, the scrutiny of government figures on the digital platforms has resulted in a push for […]

Human Rights in the Time of COVID-19: Lessons Learned from Southeast Asia

Online

On 20 August 2021, Asia Centre will release a baseline study, "Infodemic" and SDGs: Internet Freedoms in Southeast Asia, that evaluates the progress made towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 9.C (Access and Affordability of Internet) and SDG 16.10 (Fundamental Freedoms and Access to Information) and its impact on internet freedoms. The study […]

Report Launch – Internet Freedoms in Cambodia: A Gateway to Control

Online

Abstract Cambodia’s plan for a “National Internet Gateway” (NIG) in 2021, is the apex of internet censorship legislation. It is a “firewall” that observes internet traffic nationwide. The NIG would provide the government with the ability to effectively monitor and control all domestic information and communications in the nation through a single choke-point. Over the […]

Media Ethics and Journalism in Malaysia

Online

Abstract On 31st of July, following the LAWAN demonstration held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the police released a series of photos asking the public to share any information they had on these individuals in the pictures. One veteran journalist who worked the crime desk of a prominent local daily participated in sharing that information. The […]

Report Launch – Harmony Laws in Southeast Asia: Majority Dominance, Minority Repression

Abstract: Governments in Southeast Asia often proclaim that they promote and protect racial and religious harmony through their domestic laws. On occasions they even insist that these laws are aligned with international standards. However, in reality, evidence from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and Committee on Racial Discrimination (CERD) suggests otherwise. When challenged, government representatives […]

Vaccine Inequality and Worsening Inequalities in Asia

About the Event: Oxfam International and Asia Centre are bringing together experts from Asia and elsewhere to explore how vaccine inequality is worsening and fuelling other forms of inequality in Asia. The webinar is part of Oxfam International and Asia Centre’s Journalism for an Equitable Asia project, which aims to increase public awareness and support […]

Impact of COVID-19 on Human Rights

Online

OverviewHuman Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, as the date marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDH) in 1948. The UNDR stipulates a certain set of basic human rights for all people to be protected and promoted. These rights are as relevant to us today as they were […]

Nominations Open: 2021-2022 Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award

As COVID-19 spread across Asia, harrowing scenes of overflowing hospitals and queues for funeral services in some of the region’s most populous countries shocked the world. However, even before the massive uptake in COVID-19 deaths in Asia in 2021, the 1.2 billion Asians struggling in or on the brink of poverty were grappling with an […]

2021-22 Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award Ceremony

Asia Centre 128/183, Phayathai Plaza Building, 17th Floor, Phayathai Road, Thung-Phayathai, Rachatewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand

Hear from the journalists who wrote the 10 top stories selected by the panel judges from 150 submissions from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Timor Leste, Thailand and Vietnam. These journalists delivered high-quality articles on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of disadvantaged groups including women, ethnic, religious and gender minorities, migrants, and informal workers.

2022 Philippines Presidential Election: Fake Accounts, Bots and Trolls

Social media has become an important campaign tool in the 2022 Philippines Presidential Elections. Despite the campaign only officially kicking off on 8 February 2022, social media was already used in the run up to nominations in late 2021. Just days before the kick-off, on 3 February 2022, Philippines lawmakers approved the ‘Subscriber Identity Module […]

ASEAN-EU Relations in light of the War in Ukraine

Date: 17 June 2022Time: 8.30 AM – 5:45 PM (Bangkok, Thailand GMT+7)Venue: Radisson Blu Plaza BangkokSign up here: https://forms.gle/kYMA4JDs6e99TxrUAContact: contact@asiacentre.org The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) elevated their relationship to a “Strategic Partnership” in 2020. Since then, the Corona and other major challenges have arisen, most notably the war in Ukraine and […]

7th International Conference – Freedom of Expression in Asia

OverviewThis conference will assess the state of freedom of expression in Asia in the aftermath of the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the back of rising autocracy, academic, press and internet freedoms have been severely affected. National governments, in trying to deal with the pandemic, securitised health responses and introduced fake news legislation or […]

Report Launch – Youth and Disinformation in Malaysia

LT21, Taylor's University, Malaysia

“Youth and Disinformation in Malaysia: Strengthening Electoral Integrity” identifies the potential risks from disinformation that youths are likely to face in the 15th General Election (GE15) to be held latest by September 2023. A review of media reports and studies that referenced the last 5 general elections from 1999-2018, revealed 5 recurring patterns of disinformation. […]

STOP: Crimes Against Female Journalists

In Asia, as elsewhere, crimes against female journalists include physical attacks, harassment, abuses, and other gender-based violence. However, often complaints into these crimes against female journalists are not properly investigated and prosecuted. This has given rise to impunity, spiking even more attacks on female journalists. The result is a climate of fear among female media […]

Asia-Pacific Digital Rights Forum

Digital rights in Thailand are in jeopardy as the country has introduced different legislations to restrict the use of the internet. This trend has also become prevalent in other Southeast Asian countries. To discuss the suppression of digital rights in the region, Asia Centre, in partnership with EngageMedia, is hosting the “Asia-Pacific Digital Rights Forum” […]

4-Point Digital Rights Agenda Report Launch | งานเปิดตัวรายงาน “4 วาระสิทธิดิจิทัลสำหรับพรรคการเมืองไทย”

As Thailand’s general election is approaching, there have been concerns whether the next government would ensure citizen participation and set a fertile ground for democracy to prosper once again after the long suspension. Such concerns stem from the fact that in the past years, the government has used laws such as the Computer Crime Act […]

Report Launch – Internet Freedoms in Malaysia: Regulating Online Discourse on Race, Religion, and Royalty

Click here to Register Internet Freedoms in Malaysia: Regulating Online Discourse on Race, Religion, and Royalty analyses how Malaysia’s legal provisions impact online discussions of the 3Rs (race, religion and royalty) that question the special position of the Malays, Islam and the Monarchy. The report explains that Malaysia’s restrictive legal provisions inherited from the colonial […]

8th International Conference – Democracy and Elections in Asia

Overview Amidst the growing climate of authoritarianism throughout the world, Asia continues to grapple with various challenges related to democratisation and political change. As countries in the region get into a post-pandemic election cycle, political party laws, election advertising laws, fake news laws and laws governing political donations continue to have a problematic impact on […]

Protecting Civic Space: Pushing Back Against Post-Pandemic Authoritarian Governance

The emergency measures imposed by governments across ASEAN during the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted human rights and democracy in the region, leading to the shrinking of civic spaces and repression of civic space. Although most of these measures were publicly meant for public health and safety, government in practice used these to curb civic […]