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Malaysia alarm and distress190. As the film touches on religious issues, it had received public backlash and anger for some scenes are considered to be against Islamic beliefs and elements. The filmmakers themselves were also harassed by Muslim conservatives191. Zabidi Mohamed, a conservative writer and scriptwriter, for example, described his experience of watching the film as like “seeing the Koran being stepped on”. He also urged authorities to take the filmmakers to court192. Since it was adopted in 1998, the CMA has been used to target political expression, along with those related to the 3R. A wellknown example of a person being charged under the law is Fahmi Reza, an artist and activist who has been charged multiple times, thereby demonstrating how repressive the law is and why it needs to be repealed. In 2018, he was sentenced to one month imprisonment and a 30,000 MYR (7,700 USD) fine under the Section 233 of the law for posting online a clown caricature mocking then prime minister, Najib Razak193. 190 191 192 193 194 Later in 2022, he was charged again for insulting former health minister Adham Baba through satirical graphics posted on Twitter in 2021. The graphic criticized the government’s double standard that allows the ministers to observe only a three-day quarantine instead of 10 days as per policy during the COVID-19 pandemic194. He was charged again under the CMA for a graphic that is seen to insult the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). The graphic which resembles a beer advertisement showing two hands holding beer cans, with one having white circle in a green background that resembles the PAS logo. The artwork was uploaded on his Facebook account in 2021. Later in the same year, he was again arrested under both the CMA and the Sedition Act for allegedly ridiculing the monarchs. The artwork depicted Mojo Jojo, a villainous cartoon character from the Powerpuff Girls, dressed in traditional Malay royal Shasitiran, Joel. “Cops Take Statement From ‘Mentega Terbang’ Director, Actor.” Free Malaysia TODAY, 10 Mar. 2023, www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/03/10/cops-take-statement-frommentega-terbang-director-actor. “‘Mentega Terbang’ Director, Producer Get Leave to Challenge Home Ministry’s Ban on Film.” Malay Mail, 31 Jan. 2024, www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/01/31/mentega-terbang-director-producer-getleave-to-challenge-home-ministrys-ban-on-film/115554. Azmi, Hadi. “Malaysia Filmmakers Face Fury of Religious Conservatives as Mentega Terbang Becomes Latest Cultural War Target.” South China Morning Post, 12 Mar. 2023, www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyleculture/article/3213144/malaysia-filmmakers-face-fury-religious-conservatives-mentega-terbangbecomes-latest-cultural-war. “Malaysian Artist Jailed for Mocking Prime Minister Najib Razak.” BBC News, 20 Feb. 2018, www.bbc.com/ news/world-asia-43127199. Chung, Nicholas. “Fahmi Reza Given DNAA Over Ex-health Minister Adham’s Case.” Free Malaysia TODAY, 26 Aug. 2022, www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/08/26/fahmi-reza-given-dnaa-overex-health-minister-adhams-case. 55

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Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

Report

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Language

English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Information Operation
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

Author(s)

DigitalReach

Date Published: Aug 6, 2024

Abstract: It is undeniable that information technology has significantly impacted human rights and democracy these days. Different governments around Southeast Asia continually attempt to control digital space through, for example, using repressive laws and regulations, forcing social media platforms to follow their orders, and using spyware and similar technology to surveil critics. In Southeast Asia, democracy and human rights have deteriorated because of these attempts, especially for countries under authoritarian regimes.

In order to better understand the situation, DigitalReach publishes annual reports to present and analyze the events and trends around the region. The 2023 annual report analyzes the digital rights situation in eight countries across Southeast Asia—namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam–from January 2023 to December 2023, with glimpses of key updates into 2024, given the timing of its release.

The report format has been changed completely from the previous years. In order to more systematically present the developments observed, the report is organized into three key areas: (1) Legal and Policy Developments, (2) Information Control and Manipulation, and (3) Threats Against Critics and Political Opposition.

From a regional perspective, legal and policy developments in countries that are known to restrict human rights are still mainly about using or coming up with new policies to further suppress human rights in the digital sphere. Countries considered to be more democratic also attempt to change or repeal their laws, but still without a clear sign of improvement toward digital rights.

In terms of information control and manipulation, social media platforms continue to be deployed for political ends, with different platforms serving a specific purpose for each country. The shift toward short video format, TikTok in particular, continued from 2022 to contribute toward information disorder, especially during election periods. The use of video shorts is important when targeting young voters, who played an important role in determining election results in Thailand and Indonesia this year like they did in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2022. State-sponsored cyber armies were also documented, while some governments preferred to assert more effective control of social media platforms. Other important methods related to the flow of information include suppression of media freedom and internet disruptions, which are particularly severe in Myanmar following the 2021 coup.

Judicial harassment is a key form of threat used against critics and political opposition in 2023. It is still common for people in Southeast Asia to be thrown in jail for what they say or do online. Others who do not subscribe to the government’s ideology face online harassment from state-sponsored cyber armies or government supporters. In terms of surveillance, 5 out of 8 countries included in this report have been found to have or are likely to have spyware technology.

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2023-Annual-Report-FINAL-1.pdf
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Myanmar Internet Project

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Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

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