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Singapore the then Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan. The government expressed dissatisfaction that the Washington Post did not publish Mirpuri’s letter in full. The MCI director wrote that, “By refusing to carry our letter or report it more adequately, the Post is perpetuating false allegations.”294 Similar situation occurred in June 2023, when internet access service providers in Singapore were ordered to block the online new outlet, Asia Sentinel, after non-compliance with a correction direction under POFMA. The publication was required to put up a correction notice on an article published on May 26, 2023295, titled, “Singapore Kills a Chicken to Scare the Monkeys”. The article was written by Asia Sentinel editor John Berthelsen who criticized the government’s handling of KTV lounges during the COVID-19 pandemic296. Asia Sentinel, which is registered in the United States, published the government’s demand but stood by their story. The outlet also published on May 29, 2023 a statement of facts in response to government allegations that the story contained falsehoods 297 . As a result, 294 295 296 297 298 Singapore blocked access to Asia Sentinel’s website within the country298. The independent online media outlet, The Online Citizen Asia (TOCA), also repeatedly received correction directions under POFMA. TOCA, which was known as The Online Citizen (TOC) before changing its name and operating under a new domain in 2020, has always been a target of the Singaporean government due to its independent journalism. In May 2023, TOCA and its editor, Terry Xu, received correction directions under POFMA after the outlet published an online article and social media posts about the Singapore police taunting an elderly woman in Yishun, a residential town in the North Region. Later in the same month, TOCA received another correction direction for publishing a statement regarding the execution of a convicted drug trafficker, Tangaraju Suppiah. Later, the government further marked TOCA website and its social media channels as a Declared Online Location (DOL) on July 22, 2023. According to Article 32 of POFMA, Romero, Anna Maria. “Ministry of Communications and Information: Washington Post’s POFMA Article Is ‘Perpetuating False Allegations.’” The Independent Singapore, 17 Dec. 2019, theindependent.sg/ministry-of-communications-and-information-washington-posts-pofma-article-is-perpetuating-false-allegations. “Singapore to Block Asia Sentinel Website for Not Complying With POFMA Correction Direction.” CNA, 2 June 2023, www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-block-asia-sentinel-website-not-complyingpofma-correction-direction-3533176. “Asia Sentinel Issued POFMA Order Over Statements on Lee Hsien Yang, M Ravi Among Others.” CNA, 26 May 2023, www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/pofma-asia-sentinel-mha-shanmugam-ktv-andywong-lee-hsien-yang-m-ravi-nikkei-3517651. “Asia Sentinel Answer to Singapore Government Demand for Correction.” Asia Sentinel, 29 May 2023, www.asiasentinel.com/p/asia-sentinel-answer-to-singapore. “Asia Sentinel Blocked in Singapore.” Asia Sentinel, 3 June 2023, www.asiasentinel.com/p/asiasentinel-blocked-singapore. 81

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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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