April 2024. Journalists who ‘crossed the line’, digital repression, blasphemy prosecutions, and marriage equality bill. India goes to the polls amid continuing media harassment and content blocking. China’s repressive model of media and internet governance is increasingly being imposed in the region. A worsening rise in blasphemy prosecutions in Pakistan. Good news: Thailand parliament passes Marriage Equality Bill and Indonesian court strikes down articles on defamation and “fake news”. Read more.
May 2024. Pakistan’s impunity, India’s AI, PNG’s ‘media control policy’, and a landmark ruling against red-tagging in the Philippines. Media-related killings and attacks intensify in Pakistan, AI threatens elections and democracy in India, Indonesia plans to restrict investigative journalism, a landmark ruling on red-tagging in the Philippines, and Pacific groups underscore the importance of having a free press in protecting the environment. Read more.
June 2024. VPN ban, visa weaponisation, banned apps, and censorship across Asia. Once again, censorship and arrests marked the anniversary of the “Tiananmen Massacre” in Hong Kong. Governments across the region have imposed repressive policies such as a VPN ban, blocking of apps, red-tagging, social media licensing, and denial of visas to critical journalists. Read more.