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Indonesia fraud. A viral false claim attributed Jokowi’s victory to 70 million ballots sent from China to help him secure victory108, 109. The false narratives were strong enough to motivate the rioters given the intense anti-Chinese sentiments in Indonesia, a Muslim-dominant country. The protests escalated into violence which killed at least six people and injured more than 200. In the same year, the government also blocked internet access in the West Papua region following rising unrest. Protests in the restive provinces were triggered by an online allegation that the Indonesian flag was thrown into a sewer by Papuan students. The situation soon escalated into violent protests, which led to the government completely shutting down internet access in order to “prevent widespread hoaxes that may trigger mass action.” It also added that disinformation and misinformation were disseminated on social media, including photos of Papuan students killed by officers in Surabaya, and the Indonesian police 108 109 110 111 112 113 kidnapping people who delivered food for Papuan students110. The internet blockade was widely condemned. The restriction also hindered the work of journalists, who found it extremely challenging to verify what was going on in the province, and seriously affected the livelihoods of those in the area111. In 2021, a court ruled unanimously that the internet restriction was unlawful, saying that the blackout was implemented without declaring a state of emergency, as stipulated by a 1959 law. The blackout lasted from August 21 to September 4, 2019 across 54 cities and regencies in the West Papua region. According to the ruling, any decision that limits people’s right to information should be made in accordance with the law and not at the government’s discretion112, 113. Despite the ruling, the government continues to impose further internet access disruptions. In 2022, government restricted internet access in Wadas Village in the Purworejo Regency, Central Java following protests to “No, These Posts Do Not Show Millions of Ballots Sent From China To Rig This Year’s Indonesian Presidential Election in Favour of Incumbent Joko Widodo.” AFP Fact Check, 4 Jan. 2019, factcheck.afp. com/no-these-posts-do-not-show-millions-ballots-sent-china-rig-years-indonesian-presidential-election. Ibid. Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation. “Internet Blackout in Papua, West Papua Aims to Restore Order: Communication Ministry.” Sekretariat Kabinet Republik Indonesia, 23 Aug. 2019, setkab.go.id/en/166831. Idris, Ika Karlina. “The Internet Shutdown in Papua Threatens Indonesia’s Democracy and Its People’s Right to Free Speech.” The Conversation, 23 Aug. 2019, theconversation.com/the-internet-shutdown-inpapua-threatens-indonesias-democracy-and-its-peoples-right-to-free-speech-122333. Nirmala, Ronna. “Court Faults Indonesia’s President for ‘Unlawful’ Internet Blackout in Papua.” Benar News, 3 June 2020, www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/internet-ruling-06032020162310.html. Adjie, Moch. Fiqih Prawira. “Internet Ban During Papua Antiracist Unrest Ruled Unlawful.” The Jakarta Post, 3 June 2020, www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/06/03/internet-ban-during-antiracism-unrest-inpapua-deemed-illegal.html. 39

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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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