Asia-Pacific Digital Rights Forum

The past decade has seen how digital technologies and ethnoreligious hate can become closely intertwined. Digital technologies provide alternative spaces and novel methods of dissemination of hateful ideas; at the same time, the paths that tech companies pursue are increasingly driven by the need to factor how to mitigate (or, sometimes, capitalise on) the influence of such narratives. In the Asia-Pacific, the challenge of addressing hate narratives in Indonesia has garnered recent international attention. This panel will provide a space for scholars and activists to understand this trend and properly respond to them.

Speakers:

• Noor Huda Ismail, Founder, Institute for International Peace Building
• Bishakha Datta, Executive Director, Point of View
• Hew Wai Weng, Research Fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Despite advancements in achieving gender equality, women and LGBTQIA+ communities continue to face discrimination and denial of the full exercise of their rights. Their exclusion in physical spaces extends to the digital realm, where the digital divide disproportionately affects women, impacting their participation in the labour force and education opportunities. These groups are at greater risk of being subjected to gender-based violence, online harassment, and digital surveillance.

Speakers:

• Rita Baramu, Programme Manager, Body and Data
• Trishia Nashtaran, Founding President, OGNIE Foundation Bangladesh

The pursuit of ecological justice has been increasingly influenced by the pervasiveness of digitalised society. Internet pollution has been a major contributor to carbon footprint, while indigenous communities across the Asia-Pacific struggle with the demands to create Instagrammable tourist hotspots in their living space. Many communities are displaced by massive land grabbing to make way for the development of tech infrastructures. Additionally, while video activism has the potential to maximise impact, environmental activists still face huge challenges in countering disinformation and unfounded claims related to environmental issues. How can we collectively address these different issues together?

Speakers:

• Samsul Maarif, Head of Center of Cultural and Cross-Religious Studies, University of Gadjah Mada
• Imelda Abaño, Senior Coordinator for Philippines & Pacific, Internews Earth Journalism Network
• Michael Cañares, Strategy Advisor, Step Up Consulting, Philippines

Digital authoritarianism has accelerated over the past years, as the COVID-19 pandemic drove governments to control information and their citizens’ activities using digital technologies. These measures, purportedly implemented as part of the health response, have normalised state surveillance and worsened censorship of critical voices.

• Damar Juniarto, Executive Director, SAFEnet
• Dr. Janjira Sombatpoonsiri, Assistant Professor, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University
• Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, Editor at Global Investigative Journalism Network; Founder, Digitally Right

The systematic collection and analysis of data has become entrenched in daily life, with massive amounts of data generated in everyday activities. But while this datafication of society benefits others, others – such as historically marginalised communities – are further excluded in the digital world. Data justice examines the power dynamics behind the collection, analysis, and use of data, particularly concerning fairness and equity in the way people are made visible and represented in the production and analysis of data.

Speakers:

• Cypri Jehan Paju Dale, Researcher, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
• Jun-E Tan, Senior Research Associate, Khazanah Research Institute Malaysia
• Smera Jayadeva, Research Assistant in Data Justice and Global Ethical Futures, Alan Turing Institute

Social media platforms have become the main news source for many people, but these same platforms are also rife with online disinformation and propaganda. Capitalising on weak digital education and the algorithms of Big Tech platforms, perpetrators of digital black ops have spread false information to manipulate public opinion. How can the digital rights community effectively counter disinformation without infringing on people’s rights to freedom of expression?

Speakers:

• Fritz Edward Siregar, Lecturer in Jentera Law School, Indonesia
  
• Santosh Sigdel, Chairperson and Founding Member, Digital Rights Nepal