ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship results in potential abuse to prosecute activists and journalists. The 2014 amendment and the military’s unlawful 2021 amendment to the ETL restrict expression through electronic transactions technology and establish harsh criminal sanctions for those convicted. The ETL had already been deemed restrictive prior to the coup as its Section 33 criminalises the use of electronic transactions technology to receive, send or distribute electronic information which harms state security, law and order, community peace and tranquillity, national solidarity, the national economy or the national culture, with a prison term ranging from five to seven years. The 2021 amendment adds several problematic provisions that enhance the preexisting risks for crimes to be misconstrued and curtail online expression. Particularly, Section 38B punishes individuals “obtaining, disclosing, using, destroying, modifying, disseminating, or sending someone’s personal data to anyone else without approval,” with one to three years in prison. Under Section 38C, the creation of “misinformation or disinformation with the intent of causing public panic, loss of trust or social division in cyberspace” is subject to one to three years’ imprisonment in addition to fines.18 As is the case with the abovementioned laws, these provisions are imprecise and could be employed to limit the exercise of expression online and prevent the disclosure of information. In November 2021, the military introduced so-called amendments to the Broadcasting Law, expanding licensing requirements to include online media. It requires news websites that publish videos and individuals sharing news videos on social media to obtain a licence from the Ministry of Information. It is above all law no. 63/2021, the Second Amendment Law to the Television and Radio Broadcasting Law, that is drawing attention. Non-compliance with the law could lead to harsher penalties such as imprisonment for a maximum period of five years.19 184 Draconian Cyber Security Law: More Oppression in the 2022 Amendment and the Outlaw of VPNs Its latest draft, as circulated on Jan. 13, 2022,20 expands the scope of an earlier draft published in 202121 and grants the junta sweeping powers to further suppress free expression in the country. It confers unfettered authority to the junta to control internet service and police content online on grounds of “public interest.” A variety of vague and overlapping crimes, such as online expression deemed to constitute “misinformation” or “disinformation” that causes hate and risks disrupting unity, stability and peace, and “written and verbal statements against any existing law,” are punishable by three years’ imprisonment, a fine or both. These provisions lack clear definitions for key terms, potentially enabling the military to prosecute individuals for posting online content deemed threatening without precise criteria or boundaries.22 The 2022 draft outlaws the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), infringing upon individuals’ right to access information online. Harsh penalties are furthermore applicable to any person who encourages the use of VPNs. In addition, provisions permit the arbitrary blocking of digital businesses and social media without safeguards or judicial due process, in violation of the right to freedom of expression.23 Similarly to the military’s 2021 ETL amendment, accessing online content deemed “illegal” or “unauthorized”, particularly if it is considered confidential for reasons of national, international, or multilateral security, with the intention of damaging the country’s relationships with foreign nations, may lead to prosecution. This provision poses a threat to whistleblowers, investigative journalists, or activists who aim to expose materials that could undermine the regime via digital channels. In effect, this law permits the military to justify taking action against anyone who circulates information online which may threaten its unlawful, brutal authority.24 Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia