REGIONAL OVERVIEW In 2025, digital rights remain under threat in all Southeast Asian countries covered in this report. Governments and regimes across the region are intensifying efforts to control information, compelling social media platforms to comply with censorship directives, and tightening control over telecommunications, thereby increasing risks to the digital security of dissidents. In Cambodia, the border conflict with Thailand that escalated in May 2025 illustrates how propaganda and disinformation were spread by state actors, including through official statements issued by government agencies. Although Hun Sen stepped down as prime minister in 2023, he still exerts a dominant influence over Cambodian politics. Through his Facebook page, Hun Sen’s claims are amplified by other state actors and pro-regime media. In the absence of counter-narratives—caused by the severe crackdown on independent media and the harassment of critics—propaganda and disinformation produced by state actors have successfully created a one-sided infosphere. The regime also plans to resurrect the National Internet Gateway (NIG) to tighten control over information and expand mass surveillance. 7