Category Archives: media

On fake Facebook accounts

Published by Bayan Metro Manila The proliferation of fake Facebook accounts is meant to derail the growing public opposition against the draconian Terror Bill. It is a crackdown targeting critics of the bill, activists, and Facebook users who are tagged in the arbitrary cyber dragnet unleashed by state operatives. Those whose accounts were duplicated either […]

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

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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Shutdown Duterte’s tyranny

Published by Bayan Metro Manila We are one with all groups calling for the shutdown of Duterte’s tyrannical rule. We hold Duterte accountable for the sudden closure of broadcasting network ABS-CBN. His intent is not merely to intimidate the family which owns the company but to silence the media and deter other dissenting voices from […]

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

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

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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Love and life lessons from watching Korean TV dramas

Published by Bulatlat The best moments in ‘Hotel del Luna’ showed us why letting go may be difficult but more important in demonstrating what it means to love. It is not how long we attach ourselves to an ideal other that defines our commitment but also when we finally muster the courage to accept that […]

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

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

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?

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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Combatting disinformation in Asia Pacific: Intended – and unintended – consequences

This is part of a series IFEX is producing on regional experiences with the global problem of information disorder, and what people are doing to counter it. From blackouts to legislation, from fact-checking to education, Mong Palatino scrutinises some of the most popular responses to the problem of disinformation in his region. Disinformation may be […]

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