This learning call aims to center rights and civil society participation at the AI India Summit by identifying critical issues currently absent from ongoing conversations and exploring meaningful entry points for civil society to engage further in these global initiatives.
The dialogue, held as part of DRAPAC25, highlighted AI governance initiatives in Indonesia and Malaysia and civil society recommendations to safeguard public interest in the use of AI systems.
Internet shutdowns, controls on press freedom, and surveillance and arrests through the Person Scrutinization and Monitoring System were among the digital oppression incidents recorded in Myanmar between August and October 2025.
EngageMedia is providing extended impact campaign support to four filmmakers from across two editions of Tech Tales Youth. Following a competitive selection process, these filmmakers—from the Philippines and Thailand edition (2023-2024) and the Bangladesh and Malaysia edition (2024-2025)—have each been awarded an additional USD 1,000 to deepen their community engagement and digital rights advocacy work.
Note: Registration is now required to join the conversation. Date and Time: October 30, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Bangkok time (UTC+7) Room: Zoom (to
The research, presented during a session at DRAPAC25 last August, was driven by the finding that the Indonesian government allocated IDR 75 trillion to accelerate digital transformation between 2019 and 2022.
With more than 25 participant-driven sessions, the camp served as a space for skills-building, knowledge-sharing and collaborative problem-solving where participants explored open-technology solutions.
GUEST POST: DRAPAC25 was a timely opportunity to build on two of Vietnam Rise’s recent focuses. Given our recent endeavours, I spent my time at DRAPAC25 attending sessions that addressed tech-related abuses to democracy in Southeast Asia, resourcing solutions amidst rising authoritarianism, and networking with other Southeast Asian activists in the tech space.
Centralizing and strengthening human rights protection in AI strategies has been outlined in a position paper prepared by Parasurama Pamungkas and colleagues from other civil society organisations. The paper is intended to serve as the official strategic recommendation from the CSO network to the National AI Roadmap Working Group under the Ministry of Digital Communications (KOMDIGI).