In January 2022, Manushya Foundation and the ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship​​ submitted a Joint Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, to inform her report to the Human Rights Council on the issue of opportunities, challenges and threats to media in the digital age.

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The rise of digital dictatorship recorded in Southeast Asia is being characterized by several trends analyzed in this Joint Submission, which focuses on eight Southeast Asian countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This Joint Submission articulates the broad pattern of abuse of journalists and media across the region where legal provisions curtail the right to freedom of expression, by outlining legal frameworks and relevant cases for each trend.

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To ensure plurality of views and respect for freedom of expression, the ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship makes several recommendations for advancing the right to freedom of expression and promoting media freedom, independence and diversity in Southeast Asian countries.