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Thailand from politics in September 2023 because a 2010 picture deemed disrespectful of the monarchy was discovered on her Facebook account 350. The photo was taken during her graduation, in which she and her friends held a portrait of King Rama IX in a manner that some people considered as disrespectful. The case was filed when she was still an MP. When the photo was discovered, Pannika was heavily attacked by royalists and some accounts suspected to be part of state-affiliated information operations351. Conservatives also raised questions about her ethics as an MP. In Thailand, pro-democracy activists and opposition members often experienced smear campaigns not necessarily from state-sponsored trolls, but anyone who dislikes challenges to the status quo. Pannika’s case is not isolated, as the online debate about the monarchy continues to rage. Many activists have been bombarded with hateful comments attacking their physical appear350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 ance or fashion style, or threaten with physical harassment and death threats352, 353, 354. In some cases, threats have escalated into offline violence, resulting in trauma among victims355. Rukchanok, too, has consistently been a subject of online harassment due to her outspoken character and her fashion style. Cofact, a fact-checking initiative, collected 9,719 social media posts between November 2022 and May 2023 directed at Rukchanok. The group found many posts that devalued, discredited, harassed, and threatened the MP356. During the election campaign, Rukchanok was also attacked with a photoset that went viral on social media. The photoset, claiming to be of her, showed a woman in orange lingerie with the logo of Move Forward Party. The photos, which received many slut-shaming comments, were later revealed to be of Warunee Punsin, a professional lingerie fashion model who is also an MFP supporter357. “Ex-MP Pannika Given Lifetime Political Ban.” Bangkok Post, 20 Sept. 2023, www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ general/2650261/ex-mp-pannika-given-lifetime-political-ban. Sattaburuth, Aekarach. “Pannika Says Sorry After Grad Picture Triggers Hate Speech.” Bangkok Post, 20 June 2019, www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1698116/pannika-says-sorry-after-grad-picture-triggershate-speech. “Monarchy Reform Has to Happen, No Matter How Many Death Threats Received or Times Being Prosecuted Under the Lèse-Majestè Law: Chonticha Jaengraew.” The Momentum, 5 May 2021, themomentum.co/ closeup-lookkade. Teawna, Matichai. “Digital Harassment – Silent Pain: Deep Wound of Activists for Being Attacked Online.” The 101 World, 5 Oct. 2023, www.the101.world/digital-harassment-silent-pain-vdo. “ ‘Sirawith Serithiwat’, the Latest Political Activist Assaulted for Campaigning Against the Coup.” BBC News Thai, 3 June 2019, www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-48495536. Amarinthewa, Wongpun. “‘This Sympthom Will Be With Us Until We Die’ IO-Online Harassment, Psychological Impact on Political Activists.” The 101 World, 11 July 2023, www.the101.world/digital-harassment-mental-devastation. Maneechot, Prim. “Online Hassasment Towards Female Politicians: A Case Study of ‘Rukchanok Srinok.’” COFACT, 29 Aug. 2023, blog.cofact.org/political-disinformation-and-female-politicians. “Woman in Lingerie Is Freelance Thai Model, Not Young Politician From Move Forward Party.” AFP Fact Check, 18 May 2023, factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.33FC3TB. 95

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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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