Global Freedom of Expression

Is Resistance Futile? Learning from recent efforts to resist Asia’s digital authoritarians

Key Details

  • Region
    Asia and Asia Pacific
  • Themes
    Digital Rights, National Security, Political Expression, Privacy, Data Protection and Retention

Summary

Since January 2021, our region has witnessed a phenomenal emergence of massive, broad-based uprisings, as citizens push back against the reversal of democratic reforms in their countries. Governments have responded by suppressing the right to information, imposing harsh restrictions on civic space, and mounting a brutal legal offensive against opposition forces. The pandemic became an excuse to further enforce crackdowns and repressive regulations in countries where democracy is being undermined.

Mong Palatino examines what activists, academics, and journalists have learned from the protests and responses, and how they can resist such efforts going forward. 

Read the full report in English, Arabic, French, or Spanish. 

Authors

Mong Palatino

is the Regional Editor for Asia and the Pacific for IFEX.