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Thailand a targeted post or as quote tweets, leading to virtual clashes between the supporters of Pheu Thai and the supporters of the MFP. investigation revealed that these comments seem to be copy-pasted337, and the accounts used stolen profile pictures338. After Srettha Thavisin became prime minister, IO was suspected of being used on many occasions to support government policies. Among them is the government campaign to promote “soft power”336. Critics have said that the government seemingly misunderstands the meaning of soft power, which is defined as the use of non-coercive methods using culture, political values, and foreign policies to enact change rather than military power. They further chided the government for being superficial and not going in the right direction. The “soft power” campaign is spearheaded by Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose understanding of the term “soft power” is also in doubt. Meanwhile, the government under prime minister Srettha Thavisin also continued to use censorship, albeit not as intensively as during the Prayuth regime. The government constantly pressures social media platforms to remove content viewed as damaging to the royal institution. The Royalist Marketplace Facebook group apparently still draws the attention of the government after it experienced restrictions within Thailand for several hours in January 2023339. The page resurfaced after340 Facebook blocked access to the group because of government t h re a t s o f l e g a l a c t i o n a g a i n s t t h e company341. The group, which had around one million members when it was blocked in 2020, was created by a self-exiled academic and well-known monarchy critic, Pavin Chachavalpongpun. According to Pavin, the group aimed to “open up a space for Thais to be able to talk honestly and frankly about an institution that has caused so much impact on their lives.” The Royalist Marketplace page has an even bigger membership of 2.3 million at the time of writing this report. IO was suspected to have been used when Paetongtarn, who is also the leader of the Pheu Thai Party, went to Chiang Mai to promote “soft power” in November 2023. Facebook accounts containing the word “Cxllme” in their account names were observed to be systematically commenting to express support for the trip. Further 336 337 338 339 340 341 “Netizens Spot IO Cheering for the Soft Power Campaign.” Matichon, 29 Nov. 2023, www.matichon.co.th/ politics/news_4307292. “IO for the Soft Power Campaign.” Nation TV, 30 Nov. 2023, www.nationtv.tv/news/social/378936689. Ibid. “Royalist Marketplace: Pavin Said ‘It Will Resurface’ After Users Not Being Able to Access for Several Hours.” BBC News Thai, 10 Jan. 2023, www.bbc.com/thai/thailand-64228378. Ratcliffe, Rebecca. “Facebook Blocks Access to Group Criticising Thailand’s Monarchy.” The Guardian, 25 Aug. 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/24/facebook-blocks-access-group-criticisingthailand-monarchy. Ibid. 93

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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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