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Given their past records, censorship is not unexpected for these three countries. However, this year, Malaysia too has been documented to intensify censorship, which is ironic because the administration of Anwar Ibrahim was expected to be more progressive. However, censorship hit a record high compared to previous administrations 26. The blocked content were reported to be about race, religion, or royalty27, which are sacrosanct in Malaysian society. The Anwar government was also reported to have blocked a number of independent media sites, and revoked the media passes of reporters from an opposition party outlet. The move indicates a deterioration of democracy and human rights, which is in contrast to expectations of Anwar before he began his tenure. The repressive action on the media added to overall restrictive environment for media in Southeast Asian countries. In 2023, Cambodia also shut down its last independent media outlet, Voice of Democracy. In Myanmar, the military junta continued to revoke more independent media licenses totaling at least 14 outlets since the military 26 27 28 29 30 coup of 2021 including the Ayeyarwaddy Times and Mekong News whose licenses were revoked in 202328, 29. The Myanmar military also uses the Telegram messaging application as a hub to disseminate disinformation and misinformation, while pro-military media including Global New Light of Myanmar and Thazin FM have also been its mouthpieces. Meanwhile, the media in Vietnam have to strictly follow directives of the government and the Communist Party, otherwise they can face sanctions like Zing News, which was suspended for three months in 202330. The Vietnamese government is also reported to deploy cyber army known as Force 47 to manipulate information on the internet. Another issue that has been documented in Southeast Asia as part of information control is internet disruption. The approach has been used by the military junta in Myanmar and the government in Indonesia. In Myanmar, following the coup, internet access is still restricted, especially in the strongholds of the resistance forces. As all telecommunication service providers in Myanmar are now linked to the military, the control of information has become more convenient for the regime. Zulhusni, Muhammad. “Social Media Giants Respond to Malaysia’S Rising Content Restrictions.” Tech Wire Asia, 19 Dec. 2023, techwireasia.com/12/2023/meta-and-tiktok-confront-social-media-content-controlin-malaysia. Ibid. “Myanmar Junta Revokes Anti-coup Movement Publisher’s License.” Radio Free Asia, 11 Sept. 2023, www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/publisher-loses-license-09112023055827.html. “List of Myanmar Outlet Whose Licenses Have Been Revoked by the Myanmar Junta.” Myanmar Election Watch, myanmarelectionwatch.org/en/news/list-media-outlets-myanmar-licenses-revoked-junta. “Vietnam Suspends Online Magazine Affiliated With Top Tech Group After Probe.” Reuters, 27 July 2023, www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/vietnam-suspends-online-magazine-owned-by-toptech-group-after-probe-2023-07-13. 15

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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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Myanmar Internet Project

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Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

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