<p><strong>Reject Internet censorship; repeal the PPPA and Sedition Act</strong></p> <p>We are civil society groups alarmed by recent remarks from top ministerial personnel that revealed government intention to censor online free expression, from hints of &ldquo;cyber sedition regulations&rdquo; and the expansion of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) to encompass the online media.</p>

<p>Global freedom suffered its fifth consecutive year of decline in 2010, according to Freedom in the World 2011, Freedom House&rsquo;s annual assessment of political rights and civil liberties around the world. This represents the longest continuous period of decline in the nearly 40-year history of the survey. The year featured drops in the number of Free countries and the number of electoral democracies, as well as an overall deterioration for freedom in the Middle East and North Africa region.</p>

<p>The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and FORUM-ASIA, and the undersigned organizations, are deeply troubled by a Cambodia government plan to pass a restrictive law to regulate the activities of local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working inside the country.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.blackout4hungary.net/"><img alt="" src="http://www.blackout4hungary.net/b4h.png" /></a></p>

<p>(Mizzima/SEAPA/IFEX) - We, the undersigned, express our grave concern with the continued deteriorating conditions of freedom of expression and freedom of information in Burma weeks before the 7 November 2010 national elections. We are calling on the Burmese government and the governments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to ensure freedom of expression, access to information, democratic values and human rights are respected during this critical moment in the electoral history of Burma.</p>

<p>(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders calls for the immediate release of Pham Minh Hoang, a blogger with French nationality who teaches mathematics at the Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic School. He has been held incommunicado since his arrest on 13 August 2010 for allegedly violating article 79 of the criminal code, which refers to attempts to overthrow the government.</p>

<p>July 7 marked 90 days since Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Thailand. Even though Thai security forces quelled the <a href="http://eastasiaforum.org/tag/red-shirts">Red Shirt protests</a> in late May, the Abhisit administration recently extended the emergency decree over nearly a third of the kingdom for an additional three months. While much has been said about the political, economic and social impacts of the kingdom&rsquo;s recent unrest, little attention has been given to the dangerous erosion of freedom of expression in Thailand.</p>

<p>Thailand should reverse its recent backward slide in respect for freedom of expression, as illustrated by the sharp increase over the past ten months in cases under the lese majeste law.</p>

<p>The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) expresses its concern over a statement made by Information and Communication Technology Minister Ranongrak Suwanchawee of Thailand threatening to pursue legal action against websites and their respective Internet service providers (ISPs) where posts discussing the King&rsquo;s health allegedly caused the drop in the Thai bourse last month.</p>

<p>Mr. Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression visited South Korea for attending international symposium on 'Freedom of Opinion and Expression in Cyber Space' and workshop on 'Situation of Freedom of Expression in South Korea and the Use of UN Special Procedures' between October 12 and October 15.</p>

<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to you to request urgent intervention in accordance with your respective mandates in response to the case of Darunee Chanchoengsilapakul, and also with a view to wider concerns about steadily declining freedom of expression and increasing politicization of the judiciary in Thailand.</p>

<p>Officers fighting cyber crime should not target intermediaries such as Internet service providers, webmasters and search engines because it is ineffective and allows real criminal to get undetected, hurting the economy and the community, according to the Thai Netizen Network (TNN).</p>