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Digital Rights: Posts

Maria A. Ressa, Chief Executive Officer, The Rappler, Philippines

The conviction of Maria Ressa: weaponising cyber libel to suppress freedom of speech

Vino Lucero 16/06/2020

On June 15, 2020, online news organization Rappler’s CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. were convicted of cyber libel charges over a seven-year-old report on a businessman’s alleged links to illegal drugs and human trafficking. The ruling, which can still be appealed and brought up to the Supreme Court, is the most recent addition to a growing list of attacks on press freedom and freedom of expression in the Philippines.

Monitoring the ruling vs 2019 internet shutdowns in Papua and West Papua

EngageMedia 12/06/2020

Earlier this month, the Jakarta State Administrative Court declared as illegal the internet shutdowns in Papua and West Papua enforced by the Indonesian government in 2019. The case on the month-long shutdown, from August 19 to September 28 last year, was filed by a coalition of civil society groups working in Southeast Asia. The victory of the Press Freedom Defender Team over the lawsuit against the Minister of Communication and Information and the President of the Republic of Indonesia, is a good example of how citizens can respond to government’s unlawful management of public communication infrastructure like the Internet.

Pretty Good Podcast Episode 1

Pretty Good Podcast Episode 1: Digital Rights and the Asia-Pacific

Sara Pacia 10/06/2020

On the pilot episode of Pretty Good Podcast: Discussions on Digital Rights, EngageMedia chats with the Association for Progressive Communications executive director, Chat Garcia Ramilo, on the past, present, and future of digital rights in Asia-Pacific region. The pilot also tackles how the COVID-19 pandemic relates to digital rights and the importance of building and staying in touch with our communities to further the digital rights movement in the region.

Singing about global issues – and COVID-19 – with the Marapu community

EngageMedia 21/05/2020

Songs in the local language of the Marapu community in East Sumba, Indonesia, have become a bridge for the Marapu community to directly communicate and receive information and relevant health recommendations from the World Health Organisation and national and local governments in a culturally familiar and appropriate context.

The Myanmar government is hiding the truth of Arakan conflicts

EngageMedia 19/05/2020

The military strategy to fight the AA and other rebel groups in the country can be summarized into cutting off four key areas: recruitment, food, budget, and information. The fourth part, information, means to censor news and media about the Arakan conflicts.

COVID-19 Airtable Database Resources Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Resource Database

EngageMedia Editorial 13/05/2020

Asia-Pacific nonprofit organisation EngageMedia has curated a database of resources on COVID-19 that relate to media, technology, and more that highlights the voices of the region.

Opposing the ABS-CBN shutdown

Sara Pacia 08/05/2020

At 7:52 p.m. on May 5, 2020, Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN went off the air after its congressional franchise to operate expired the day prior. This article gives context to what happened and provide you with ways you can campaign against the shutdown.

#BebaskanRavio: Free Ravio Patra and reveal the WhatsApp hackers

EngageMedia 24/04/2020

On the evening of April 22, 2020, researcher Ravio Patra was arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia, not long after an attempt to protect his safety due to a WhatsApp privacy breach. His work has captured the interest of many, notably his most recent critique on the sparse handling of COVID-19 by the Jokowi administration.

Coconet II Public Report: Growing the digital rights movement

EngageMedia 10/04/2020

Coconet is an Asia-Pacific regional initiative supporting changemakers to build the digital rights movement. In October 2019, Coconet II expanded the space for new changemakers: activists, journalists, artists, technologists, filmmakers, lawyers, and researchers, who represent a wide variety of social and environmental movements. Over 120 changemakers from 22 countries converged in Antipolo, Philippines, to discuss and share their knowledge on digital rights, exchange tactics and skills, and plan joint campaigns and collaborations to strengthen their respective movements as well as support broader ones.