Stories about East Asia
Online safety or censorship? Malaysia’s parliament passes two contentious media bills
“These measures risk transforming Malaysia’s digital spaces into stricter and highly regulated environments, stifling open discourse and innovation while entrenching state control over the internet.”
Eyes in the sky: Hong Kong police considering AI-enhanced drone patrols
Hong Kong police are considering using drones for routine patrols and analysing their images with artificial intelligence.
How tech companies enable censorship in Vietnam
"Our findings show a concerning situation where these companies almost always comply with an increasing number of content moderation requests from the Vietnamese government."
Forty-five Hong Kong pro-democracy activists jailed up to 10 years in landmark national security case
The U.S government said the 45 were punished for peaceful participation in political activities under the protection of Basic Law while the HK government insisted on the severity of the crime.
Reflections on youth-led movements against state repression in Bangladesh and Indonesia
This article introduces a Pretty-Good-Podcast Youth episode, featuring an interview with Activate Rights' founders on Bangladesh's student-led protests and their influence on youth's understanding of human and digital rights.
Impunity continues to threaten the work of journalists across Southeast Asia
"While there is inherent risk in journalism and media work, attacks against journalists cannot be normalized."
Papuan news outlet Jubi attacked with Molotov bomb
"If press freedom continues to be intimidated, what's at stake is not only the right of journalists, but also the public's right to obtain information that is truthful, and balanced."
#FreeMechDara: Journalist who reported on cyber scams arrested in Cambodia
“The arrest of Mech Dara is a clear attempt to intimidate and silence him and other journalists in a country where press freedoms are routinely curtailed.”
Where are the leaders of Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement now?
HKFP updates the whereabouts of Twelve leaders of 2014 Umbrellas Movement. They are Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Benny Tai, Chan Kin-Man, Chu Yiu-ming, Alex Chow, Tanya Chan and more...
Hong Kong police told a US tech firm to take down diaspora media site on national security grounds
Flow HK's editor said police suspected the media outlet of committing offences including secession, subversion, and collusion under the Beijing-imposed security law, as well as sedition under Article 23.
X overtakes WeChat in spreading Chinese disinformation about the 2024 US presidential elections
Many mainland Chinese influencers have migrated away from WeChat thanks to China’s censorship policies and resettled on X in recent years. They're turning their attention to the 2024 US Presidential Elections.
Ex-editor of Hong Kong’s Stand News Chung Pui-kuen jailed for 21 months for sedition in landmark case
Kwok Wai-kin, the designated judge for national security trials said the defendants were not conducting genuine media work, but participating in the so-called resistance then.
Hong Kong Article 23: Three jailed over a seditious T-shirt, bus graffiti, social media posts in six months
At least 14 people have been arrested on suspicion of violating Article 23 since the law was enacted on 23 of March, 2024.
‘Truth deserves to be seen’: Artists decry film censorship in the Philippines
Two Philippine films were given X-ratings, and therefore banned from airing in theaters, angering cinephiles and free-speech activists alike.
Lessons from Indonesia's 2024 election: Social media, censorship, and youth vote
During the elections, generative AI content was used in the campaigns by many parties and there were a variety of attitudes towards its use.
Hong Kong journalists are under systematic and organized attacks
Threatening messages were sent to family members, landlords, employers and associated organisations of 15 journalists, hateful contents were posted on Facebook targeting 36 journalists.
China’s top nationalist influencer Hu Xijin silenced for over a month, but very few miss him
Hu Xijin, the former chief editor of the Chinese-state-funded Global Times and a prominent nationalist commentator, has been quiet on social media for over one month, since he critiqued party policy.
Two Hong Kong journalists found guilty of sedition after a 2-year trial
Two former chief editors of the now-defunct Stand News were found guilty of sedition, marking the first such conviction of journalists since the former British colony returned to China in 1997.
From Myanmar to Thailand: Displaced journalists tell their stories
"I still have concerns that police will raid our office and arrest us because we have no permit to operate a news agency."
What are the controversies over Hong Kong’s latest cybersecurity bill?
“The proposals give authorities overly broad powers that could threaten the integrity of service providers and rock confidence in the city’s digital economy.”
