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Vietnam is Le Thi Ha, who is the wife of Dang Dang Phuoc, a music teacher who was sentenced to eight years in prison in June 2023 for allegedly “conducting anti-state propaganda” through his Facebook posts427. The same happened to the family of Nguyen Ngoc Anh, a fisheries engineer and environmental activist who was sentenced to six years imprisonment in June 2019428. Le Quy Loc, an activist who was released from prison in 2023 after serving a five-year sentence for “disturbing security”, also reported that there is a camera pointed at his house after his release 429 . He was convicted for participating in protests against the controversial bills on special economic zones and cybersecurity. The 2023 amendments of the Telecommunications Law would also allow the Vietnamese government to step up its surveillance efforts by requiring social media users to verify their identities 430. This requirement applies to both local and foreign platforms that operate in Vietnam. 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 According to information deputy minister, Nguyen Thanh Lam, the verification is due to difficulties that authorities faced in tracking social media users who violate the laws, especially when the users use cross-border platforms431. In addition, the Vietnamese government has a history of purchasing different types of surveillance technology from foreign companies including Cellebrite, Circles, and Cytrox. In 2020, the Vietnamese government was alleged to have hired APT32 or OceanLotus, believed to be a highly sophisticated cyber espionage group, to target dissidents and foreign officials432. According to Amnesty International, those who were targeted included the Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment (VOICE), an NGO that advocates for human rights in Vietnam, as well as two Vietnamese human rights activists433. The attack came in the form of emails with a file attachment that contains the spyware434. “Vietnam Court Sentences Music Teacher to 8 Years in Prison.” Radio Free Asia, 6 June 2023, www.rfa.org/ english/news/vietnam/dang-dang-phuoc-sentence-06062023051329.html. “Jailed Vietnamese Blogger Protests Harsh Conditions in Prison.” Radio Free Asia, 25 July 2022, www.rfa. org/english/news/vietnam/protest-07252022142245.html. “Vietnamese Dissidents, Families Filmed by the Police.” Radio Free Asia, 19 Dec. 2023, www.rfa.org/english/ news/vietnam/vietnam-dissident-cameras-12192023003631.html. “Vietnam to Require Social Media Users to Verify Identity.” Reuters, 9 May 2023, www.reuters.com/world/ asia-pacific/vietnam-require-social-media-users-verify-identity-2023-05-08/ Ibid. Stubbs, Jack, and James Pearson. “Facebook Tracks ‘OceanLotus’ Hackers to IT Firm in Vietnam.” Reuters, 11 Dec. 2020, www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN28L03Y. “Vietnamese Activists Targeted by Notorious Hacking Group.” Amnesty International, 24 Feb. 2021, www. amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/02/viet-nam-hacking-group-targets-activist. Ibid. 109

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Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

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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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