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For example, former opposition activist Yim Sinorn78 was arrested along with another activist in March 2023 for Facebook posts criticizing how the government treated the country’s monarch79. Hun Sen responded by commenting, “It would be weird if [the two critics] are not guilty because what they said is not an expression of opinion, but it is a distortion of the truth with an intent.”80 He further added “Whatever it is, leave it for the court to decide.”81 A month later, Yim Sinorn was released after posting a video on social media apologizing to Hun Sen82. Sinorn then announced that he would join the CPP, and said that the Candlelight Party abandoned him while he was in detention83. Over the years, many incidents have indicated that the government knows about the movements of the political opposition. In 2017, a Facebook page, Sei Ha, published audio recordings of key members of the CNRP discussing private matters84. Prior to 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 the 2018 general election, the government announced that they would take action against websites and social media users who posted “fake news”. Within that announcement, Hun Sen said that police and intelligence officers should “reveal all the technology” they had to catch those individuals, boasting that it would take “six minutes” to do so85. In 2017, the government announced that it would monitor the Sam Rainsy’s Facebook page to ensure that his page does not violate any law. Rainsy, whom Hun Sen sees as his main political nemesis, was reported in 2019 to also being monitored for his movements after he announced that he would return to Cambodia86. The government claimed that they have capacity to find out the exact time and location of Rainsy’s return, as long as the opposition members “used their phones to communicate with each other.”87 During the COVID-19 period, the government “Top Opposition Party Youth Leader Switches Allegiance to Hun Sen’s Ruling Party.” Radio Free Asia, 21 Apr. 2023, www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/opposition-defector-04212023161700.html. “Opposition Activists Arrested in Phnom Penh After Online Comments About King.” Radio Free Asia, 21 Mar. 2023, www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/opposition-arrests-facebook-king-03212023164932.html. Ibid. Ibid. “Top Opposition Party Youth Leader Switches Allegiance to Hun Sen’s Ruling Party.” Radio Free Asia, 21 Apr. 2023, www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/opposition-defector-04212023161700.html. Ibid. Vicheika, Kann. “Controversial Facebook Page Seen as Avenue for Gov’t Propaganda.” Voice of America, 16 Feb. 2017, www.voacambodia.com/a/controversial-facebook-page-seen-as-avnue-for-governmentpropaganda/3725867.html. Wright, George, and George Styllis. “Facebook Now ‘Crucial’ News Source in Run-up to Cambodia Election.” Nikkei Asia, 12 July 2018, asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Hun-Sen-s-Cambodia/Facebook-now-crucial-newssource-in-run-up-to-Cambodia-election. Vicheika, Kann. “Government Admits to Monitoring Opposition Officials Ahead of Sam Rainsy’s Return.” Voice of America, 29 Oct. 2019, www.voacambodia.com/a/government-admits-to-monitoring-opposition-officials-ahead-of-sam-rainsy-return/5144005.html. Ibid. 32

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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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