Category Archives: east asia

IFEX Regional Briefs: November and December 2020

By admin | October 29, 2021

November 2020: Media killings, zines promoting women’s empowerment, and the dangers of criticizing monarchies. Six journalists were killed in November across the Asia-Pacific. The past month also saw the further erosion of civic space in Thailand and Malaysia where citizens faced persecution for speaking out about the royal family in their respective countries. Opposition legislators […]

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Myanmar’s Coup: The View from Manila

By admin | August 30, 2021

Written for The Diplomat News about last month’s coup d’etat in Myanmar prompted solidarity actions in Manila, which became more frequent after the Philippine government dissociated itself from the United Nations Human Rights Council statement expressing concern over the actions of the Tatmadaw. The embarrassing actions of the Philippine government have been repudiated by democracy-loving […]

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IFEX Asia -Pacific Regional Brief: August, September, October 2020

By admin | July 31, 2021

August 2020: #AttacksWontSilenceUs: Resisting media raids, internet shutdown, and online violence in Hong Kong, Kashmir, and Pakistan. The democratic space continues to shrink in Hong Kong, Kashmir marks a year of losing its special autonomy status while internet connections are still restricted, India bans Chinese apps including TikTok, Thailand has started arresting student activists, and […]

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IFEX Asia-Pacific brief: May, June, July 2020

By admin | June 10, 2021

May 2020: A month of mayhem: Security law, tracing apps, and media shutdowns in Asia-Pacific The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop various governments in the region from imposing new laws and orders that further weakened democracy and human rights. China’s security law threatens Hong Kong’s freedom, a major broadcaster in the Philippines was forced to […]

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IFEX April 2020 regional briefs

By admin | March 15, 2021

Pandemic exacerbates digital gap and media censorship in Asia-Pacific An important component in the global campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic is upholding and promoting access to information. Unfortunately, this is severely undermined across the Asia-Pacific region. How can people get reliable data if they are disconnected from communication networks? What happens to media credibility if […]

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A woman’s place is in the resistance: From the Aurat March to Shaheen Bagh

By admin | February 2, 2021

Written for IFEX Women challenging patriarchy in Pakistan, fighting for democracy in Hong Kong, defying the communications blockade in Kashmir, and leading the sit-in against the CAA in India’s Shaheen Bagh. Read more

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When the People Have a Voice: The Value of Free Social Media in Southeast Asia

By admin | December 4, 2020

Written for Global Asia. Published in June 2014 WHEN the Royal Thai Army launched a coup in Thailand on May 22, the generals announced it through social media accounts. This makes sense, considering that about a third of Thailand’s population of 67 million has access to the Internet. And after the army seized control of […]

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January, February, March 2020 IFEX regional brief

By admin | November 21, 2020

January 2020 in Asia-Pacific: Landmark rulings on genocide and internet shutdowns. Read more February 2020 in Asia-Pacific: Coronavirus, censorship, and threats against the media. Read more March 2020: COVID-19 and censorship plague Asia-Pacific What we saw spreading quickly across the region in March was not just the dreaded coronavirus, but the mainstreaming of laws, regulations, […]

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What will it take to combat digital authoritarianism in Southeast Asia?

By admin | October 23, 2020

This post is based on a keynote presentation delivered by the author at the first Global Voices Asia-Pacific Citizen Media Summit June 2, 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan. The rise to power of someone like Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who gained global notoriety for launching a bloody campaign against illegal drugs, is linked to the manipulation of online […]

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IFEX Asia-Pacific brief: November and December 2019

By admin | October 11, 2020

November 2019: Blackout and landslide: 100 days without internet in Kashmir and election victory in Hong Kong Read more December 2019: India protests, internet shutdowns, Ampatuan verdict, and Hong Kong’s “White Christmas” Read more

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