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ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship The state of democracy (FITW reports) has We must not allow ourselves to succumb to these significantly declined across the world over the advances of power, and must diligently observe past 17 years, while the state of internet freedom political actions that affect this topic, in order (FOTN reports) significantly declined across the to more effectively collectively demand from world over the past 13 years. Southeast Asia Southeast Asian governing bodies more procedural is no exception to these trends. As the following safeguards, independent oversight, accountability, chapters will show, all the Southeast Asian nations and overall respect of universal human rights. covered in our Thematic Report study fall into the Oppressive governments are counting on the ‘not free’ or ‘partially free’ categories for both the people to be too afraid or ignorant to advocate for state of democracy (FITW) and the state of internet our human rights, so that they can increasingly freedom (FOTN) indexes, have remained in these usurp more power at the expense of our collective categories for the entirety of the 2020 to 2023 freedoms. We must all take digital dictatorship period, and have also all experienced collective seriously, for it is a lethal tool that forms part of score declines during this period. greater dictatorial projects as a whole. 12 13 12. Freedom House, Regional Trends & Countries in the Spotlight, (last updated 2023), available at: https:// freedomhouse.org/report/freedomworld/2023/ marking-50-years/countries-regions#asia-pacific; Freedom House, Freedom in the World Research Methodology, (last updated 2023), available at: https://freedomhouse.org/reports/freedom-world/ freedom-world-research-methodology.; Freedom House, Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence, (last updated 2023), available at: https://freedomhouse.org/report/ freedomnet/2023/repressive-power-artificial-intelligence#key-findings. 13. Freedom House, Countries and Territories, (last updated 2023), available at: https://freedomhouse. org/countries/freedom-world/scores. Executive Summary: A Regional Overview 21

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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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Myanmar Internet Project

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

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