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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

OverviewAs of 2021, in Southeast Asia, Thailand is the only country that has published the national action plans (NAPs) on business and human rights; while Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines have either expressed their intention or have undertaken necessary steps to develop their NAPs. This event, convened to mark the launch of a new report,  will […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

“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. […]

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 […]

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” […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

In today’s digital landscape, Media Information Literacy (MIL) stands as the cornerstone, providing individuals with essential skills to navigate the vast sea of information and counter the rising tide of disinformation and misinformation propagated by various state and non-state actors. Bridging the digital literacy gap is a critical task, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) emerge […]

In the digital age, technological advancements, while offering unprecedented connectivity and convenience, also raise concerns about encroachments on personal freedoms. Digital rights, including the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and protection from unwarranted surveillance, take center stage in an era characterized by widespread internet accessibility and digital device usage. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) emerge […]

Foreign interference, characterised by cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and manipulative strategies, poses a severe threat to democratic societies in our era of global connectivity. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) play a pivotal role as defenders against these consequences. They serve as vigilant monitors in the digital sphere, equipping individuals to discern fact from fiction and contributing to […]

Digital Security for High-Risk Users in the Asia-Pacific examines the key challenges that users such as parliamentarians, policymakers, rights defenders, and journalists – among others – face in the online sphere that impact their digital security. Since the mid-2000s, the internet has increasingly influenced politics in the Asia-Pacific region. With the rise in internet and […]

Global Democracy Coalition Asia Regional Forum 2025: Youths, Democracy & Electoral Legitimacy in Asia The Asia-Pacific region is characterised by a wide range of political systems, from full democracies to authoritarian regimes. Recent reports indicate a decline in democratic governance in the past decade, with concerns over electoral integrity being particularly prominent. The region is […]