Ed Legaspi, from Southeast Asian Press Alliances, gave a talk about freedom of speech/expression on November 4th, at BlogFestAsia 2012: http://2012.blogfest.asia

1. Freedom of Expression, Information
and the Press in Southeast Asia
Presentation by Ed Legaspi
Alerts and Communication Officer
Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)

2. SEAPA
• Members in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
and Thailand; partners in Cambodia, Burma,
and Timor Leste
• Programs: Campaigns (Press freedom, FOE in
the Internet and in ASEAN), Fellowship and
Trainings
• Through: Advocacy, Networking, Training and
Knowledge building

3. Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Of all human beings
• Human right to freedom? Negative right
• Internationally and nationally protected
• Not absolute (derogable)
Look it up:
Constitution,
laws
UDHR, ICCPR, AHRD

4. Understanding FOE
to disagree
Freedom to hold opinions
press freedom
Self-expression
Right to seek, receive and
impart Right to
pluralism information
All kinds of information
and ideas From public authorit
Print
Broadcast Without interference * No censorship
Online
Art Through any media
Film Beyond borders
Sound Regardless of frontiers

5. Which countries ratified ICCPR?
• Cambodia (‘92) • Bangladesh (‘00)
• Indonesia (‘06) • India (‘79)
• Laos (’09) • Maldives (‘06)
• Philippines (‘78) • Nepal (‘91)
• Thailand (‘91) • Pakistan (‘10)
• Timor Leste (‘03) • Sri Lanka (‘80)
• Vietnam (‘84)
• Korea, DPR (‘81)
Legal obligations to • Korea, Republic of (‘76)
A) Implement • Japan (’79)
B) Report • Mongolia (’76)

6. Legal FOE issues
• ICCPR in only 7 out of 11 countries
• FOI laws only in Indonesia and Thailand (plus
Selangor and Penang in Malaysia)
• Press control laws: Brunei, Burma, Malaysia,
Singapore
• Security laws: sedition, subversion, national
security
• Criminal laws: defamation, lese majeste, anti-
state propaganda
• The rise of cybercrime laws

7. FOE issues in practice
• Violence and impunity against the media by
state and non-state actors
• State interference in the media – Surveillance,
censorship
• Self-censorship
• Disregard of good laws (press and FOI)
• Criminalization of expression = suppressing
freedom of opinion

8. Some good news
Attention; potential
• Burma’s transition Sustainable?
National, regional
• Civil society power
How effective?
• Common ASEAN human rights standard
• Changing media landscape Implementable?
•New space
•New actors
•New power
•New battle ground

9. Directions
• Mainstream media transition to cyberspace
• Role of bloggers in restrictive countries
• Changing communication models
• Internet governance
• Addressing the question of ethics
• Changing priorities: from press freedom to
freedom of expression

10. Implications to SEAPA
• Evaluating and campaigning on bad
cybercrime laws
• Examining the situation of blogging and social
media in greater detail
• Cooperating with blogger communities
• … and your suggestions?

11. អ អ អ
អ អ
Cám ơn
Terima kasih
Obrigado
Maraming salamat
Thank you la