ASEAN countries rank among the WORST in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index!

ASEAN countries rank among the WORST in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index! See their ranking and more details here! #StopDigitalDictatorship

The 2021 World Press Freedom Index ranks 180 countries in total based on the level of freedom media and journalists in each country have, both online and offline. Among 180 countries, all 10 ASEAN countries rank among the lowest of them all, with the highest being Indonesia ranking at 113 and the lowest being Vietnam ranking at 175.

Is this shocking? Not really, ASEAN governments have been attempting to silence anyone with information or opinion that they viewed as a threat to the government and its policies by using laws to unjustly and unfairly criminalize dissents.

Especially since the COVID-19 outbreak, ASEAN governments have been using the pandemic as an excuse to weaponize domestic laws to stop criticism towards them, even when sometimes the criticism isn’t even about their COVID-19 management!

The 2021 World Press Index is a solid proof that citizens in ASEAN countries are living under the rising dictatorship that threatens their freedom, their rights, and is a threat to democracy in the region as a whole!

We, the ASEAN people, as regional citizens, we must recognize this threat and stand in solidarity to fight back the rising authoritarianism and work together to champion Freedom of Expression and Democracy for all.

Take action! Join our ASEAN campaign to #StopDigitalDictatorship , Click HERE