Curtailing Free Expression, Opinion and Information Online in Southeast Asia the nation.”307 It also explicitly covers information shared on social media platforms, webpages and websites, extending criminalization of existing offences under Laos’ Criminal Code to the online sphere in a manner to the operation of Thailand’s CCA, Malaysia’s CMA and Philippines’ CPA have been as described above. Case of Somphone Phimmasone, Lod Thammavong and Soukane Chaithad In March 2017, Somphone Phimmasone, Lod Thammavong and Soukane Chaithad were arrested upon returning to Laos from Thailand, where they had made posts on their Facebook accounts reportedly criticizing the Lao government of corruption and human rights violations.308 After being held incommunicado – in violation of articles 7 and 9 of the ICCPR – in May 2017, they appeared on State-run television at the police headquarters, where the news reported that they had been arrested for “threatening national security by using social media to tarnish the government’s reputation”.309 They were charged under articles 56 (“treason to the nation”), 65 (“propaganda against the Lao PDR”) and 72 (“gatherings aimed at causing social disorder”) under the Criminal Code.310 In a secret trial which reportedly took place in April 2017, Phimmasone was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment and fined 210 million kip (approx. USD 24,100), Chaithad was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment and fined 106 million kip (approx. USD 12,200), and Thammavong was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and fined 110 million kip (approx. USD 12,650).311 307 Decree No. 327, article 2. 308 FIDH, ‘Three government critics jailed for up to 20 years’, 16 May 2017, Available at: https:// www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/laos/three-government-critics-jailed-for-up-to-20-years; Ron Corben, ‘Rights Groups Call for International Community to Press Laos on Jailed Activists’, Voice of Asia, 26 June 2017, Available at: https://www.voanews.com/east-asia/rights-groups-call-internationalcommunity-press-laos-jailed-activists 309 Ibid. 310 FIDH, LMHR, 18 July 2019, para 7. 311 Ounkeo Souksavanh, Richard Finney, ‘Three Jailed Lao Workers Were Also Fined, Sources Say’, Radio Free Asia, 29 June 2017, Available at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/ fined-06292017173030.html; They remain in prison. See Ounkeo Souksavanh, Richard Finney, ‘Lao Workers Jailed For Criticizing Government Are Separated in Prison’, Radio Free Asia, 19 October 2018, Available at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/separated-10192018145914. html 87