Since July 31, several human rights activists and journalists across Southeast Asia have been arrested, convicted, and experienced harassment which reflect the surge in state-backed attacks on freedom of expression.
In Thailand, a lawyer and student activist were arrested for their participation in democracy protests. A Cambodian union leader was detained for his statements expressing concern about farmers reportedly losing land at the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Three media offices in Malaysia were raided for featuring a documentary on the government’s treatment of migrant workers. And finally, eight defendants in Vietnam were convicted for ‘disrupting security’.
