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ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship Media & Press Freedom Status: Malaysia Digital Space & Online Freedom Status: Malaysia 80 60 58 59 58 61 119 125 113 101 Index Score Index Score 100 40 20 73 75 50 25 0 2020 2021 2022 0 2023 Year Freedom House, Explore the Map, (n.d.), available at: https://freedomhouse.org/explore-the-map?type=fiw&year=2023 2020 2021 2022 2023 Year Reporters sans frontières, Classement, (n.d.), available at: https://rsf.org/fr/classement Fig. 4.3: Digital Space & Online Freedom Status (Freedom on The Net) and Media & Press Freedom (World Press Freedom Index) Ratings for Malaysia over the years, 2020-2023. Malaysia has been ruled by four different prime ministers from 2020 to 2023.14 Despite continued political tumult, little has been done to address the persistent crackdown on fundamental freedoms in the country. For instance, Malaysia was ranked “partly free” in the Freedom on the Net Report, with a score of 58/100 in 2021 and 59/100 in 2022.15 On press freedom, Malaysia placed 113th out of 180 countries and scored 51.55/100 on the 2022 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders and witnessed notable improvement in 2023, now situated 73rd out of 180 countries, with a score of 62.83/100.16 Freedom of expression is continuously under threat. With power conferred on the authorities to weaponise broad and loosely worded laws, HRDs, journalists, political opponents, and ordinary users are prosecuted, investigated, and jailed for their online activities. Individuals are investigated under Penal Code Section 298A, CMA Section 233, and the Sedition Act for expressions that touch on race, religion, and royalty (hereinafter 3Rs).17 Malaysia In recent years, the trend of arrests of online users expressing their views on the monarchy, government, or Islam continues to increase. It is common for people in Malaysia to come under scrutiny for questioning or expressing challenging views related to the royal institution, race, or religious matters (3Rs), and the government. Authorities are actively monitoring digital space for 3Rs remarks, and this has been openly acknowledged by the Communications and Digital Minister. –Kelly Koh, Programme Officer at Sinar Project 157

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Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia March 2024

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Language

English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Information Operation
Internet Restrictions

Author(s)

MANUSHYA

Date Published: Mar 8, 2024

Abstract: Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia March 2024 Whether we like it or not, we are living through a pivotal moment for the future of human rights. This includes the issue of our digital rights, and the question of our online freedoms. In places like Southeast Asia, where the majority of its peoples are experiencing immense threats to their online and offline freedoms, at the hands of opportunistic governments and corporations, this is especially prevalent. The digital space has become an integral part of human life, and is still growing in its influence over our world. Accordingly, if our freedoms in the digital space are endangered, our freedoms overall are endangered as well.

It is understandable to feel powerless while possessing this knowledge. But it is not enough to just know about the forces acting against our human rights, and understand that they are dangerous. If we truly want to create a safer, more equitable, more liberated world - which we all know, deep down, is possible - we must understand these forces, and act accordingly. We must equip ourselves with knowledge about what governments, corporations, and other powers that be are doing, alongside demanding our rights to freedom. The powers that be have weaponised the online and digital space, as well as the law, against the people that these things are supposed to serve and protect. It is our right to protect ourselves with research, knowledge, advocacy, and the power of the people. When we understand the powers we are up against, fighting back will become less daunting.

This is what our report, titled Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia, is for. Join us in powering ourselves with knowledge, in order to compel ourselves to action!

As always, our work is rooted in decolonial, feminist, intersectional values, with historically marginalised people at the centre. Thus, this work was a collaboration between a coalition of groups oriented in these values: ALTSEAN-Burma, Cambodian Center for Human Rights, ELSAM, Free Expression Myanmar, Foundation for Media Alternatives, ILGA Asia, Manushya Foundation, The Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network, SAFEnet, Viet Tan, and Women’s Peace Network. What is the ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship? The ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship was established in 2020, by human rights and digital rights activists from Southeast Asia, on a mission to decolonize digital rights and restore our online democracies.

Together, we stand in solidarity with one another, with people from the Global Majority, resisting and pushing back against authoritarian governments and complicit tech companies.

We tell our realities from the ground, and we develop solutions together.

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Manushya Report 2024 - FULL REPORT - Book File-compressed.pdf
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Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia March 2024

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