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Key Developments ● The government of Anwar Ibrahim marked its first year in office in 2023. His government has been widely criticized for not being able to deliver on its election promise to reform the country toward human rights. ● There were some developments on reforms related to the repressive Communication and Media Act and the Sedition Act in 2023. However, it was unclear how the laws would be amended or if these would be repealed. The government seems to be leaning toward using or amending the Sedition Act to protect “3R” issues. ● The rise of the Islamist political party, Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), since the 2022 elections continued into the 2023 state elections. The party has used TikTok as their platform of choice to gain support during the elections. ● 1. Online censorship has intensified during the first year of Anwar’s administration, with data from social media platforms indicating that takedown requests from the government are at its highest levels. Overview Following the General Elections in November 2022, Anwar Ibrahim, a well-known opposition politician became the 10 th Prime Minister of Malaysia. Anwar has long been a vocal advocate for political reform in Malaysia. In the election campaign, his political coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH), campaigned with a manifesto that it would lead Malaysia on a different path from the deep racial and religious polarization in the country. The manifesto proposed, among others, to amend and repeal a list of repressive laws, including the 1948 Sedition Act, 1998 Communications and 46 Multimedia Act, and 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act. However, when he became prime minister, Anwar has been criticized for being slow to implement the promised reforms. One reason for this is the fact that PH could not secure the 112-seat majority to effectively control the Dewan Rakyat (“People’s Assembly”) or House of Representatives. PH then had to obtain support from other alliances and parties, leading to a coalition government. He was sworn in as a prime minister with support from more conservative MPs from the former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, as well as

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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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Myanmar Internet Project

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Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

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