Week of February 22

Indonesia

U.S. raises concerns over 'made in Indonesia' smartphone law

Reuters, 24 February 2015
"The United States is pressing Indonesia to relax local-content rules it believes will handicap efforts of tech firms such as Apple to expand into one of the world’s last big markets where demand for high-end smartphone has yet to really take off. The regulation, which would come into force on Jan. 1, 2017, requires companies that sell smartphones and tablets in the fast-growing economy of 250 million people to produce 40 percent of their content locally."

Malaysia

National Security Council reviewing country’s cyber security policy

The Malaysian Insider, 23 February 2015
"CyberSecurity Malaysia and the National Security Council are in the process of reviewing and enlarging the scope of the National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP) to improve Internet security. CyberSecurity, an agency under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, is entrusted to ensure the security of Malaysia's cyberspace. CyberSecurity chief executive officer Dr Amirrudin Abdul Wahab said the revised policy is expected to be ready in two years."

Singapore

Singapore: Blogger’s conviction violates free speech

The Online Citizen, 23 February 2015
"A Singapore court’s conviction of a prominent blogger for contempt of court violates his right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said today. Alex Au Wai Pang faces a fine and imprisonment when he is sentenced on March 5, 2015. Singapore’s parliament should revise the penal code to eliminate the archaic, colonial-era offense of “scandalizing the judiciary,” Human Rights Watch said. “Alex Au’s blogging on judicial accountability in Singapore furthers the public’s right to information,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Sending him to prison would merely highlight the injustice of Singapore’s archaic crime of ‘scandalizing the judiciary.’”"

Thailand

Thailand jails two on royal insult charge over play

Reuters, 23 February 2015
"Thailand sentenced two students to jail on Monday for 2-1/2 years for insulting the monarchy in a university play, in a case which drew dozens of activists to a protest outside the court in defiance of a ban on demonstrations."

Vietnam

Google Access Is Disrupted in Vietnam

Wall Street Journal, 23 February 2015
"Access to Google Inc. ’s Vietnam website was disrupted briefly Monday, the company said, with some users redirected to a website appearing to sell a service used for cyberattacks. “For a short period today, some people had trouble connecting to google.com.vn, or were being directed to a different website,” a Google spokesman said. “We’ve been in contact with the organization responsible for managing this domain name and the issue should be resolved.” The spokesman stressed that users’ searches and Google services, like Gmail, weren’t compromised. Users within Vietnam reported that service disruption lasted several hours."

Elsewhere in Asia

Nepal: Cyber security conference kicks off

Republica, 21 February 2015
"International Conference on Cyber Security and Cyber Law 2015 kicked off in Kathmandu from Friday. Information Technology Security Emergency Response Team Nepal (ITSERT-NP) is organizing the first of its kind event in Nepal to discuss crucial issues related to cyber crime and law, online financial security, incident handling, security standard and new emerging threats, among others."

Week of February 15

Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar's first e-commerce payments platform seen to boost economy

Enterprise Innovation, 17 February 2015
"2C2P, a Southeast Asian payment services company, and Myanmar Payment Union (MPU), the national payment network of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, have developed and implemented Myanmar’s first electronic commerce payments platform. MPU card holders can now – for the first time – search, select and directly pay for online purchases. There are already some 900,000 MPU cards in Myanmar, a number that is increasing rapidly, in line with ongoing economic reforms. MPU authorizes the issuance and acceptance of all payment cards within the country."

Thailand

Thailand’s new cyber laws – Part 3: Far-reaching cyber snooping

Asian Correspondent, 20 February 2015
"In this part in our series examining the Thai military government’s new cyber laws, we look at the most controversial bill among the eight drafts: The Cyber Security Bill."

Thailand’s new cyber laws – Part 2: Changes to the Computer Crime Act

Asian Correspondent, 17 February 2015
"With the passing of eight new draft bills under the banner of “Digital Economy” by the Thai junta cabinet and awaiting approval by the ersatz-parliament, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), the main focus of criticism is aimed at the cyber security bill and the amendments to the 2007 Computer Crime Act (CCA). In this part, we take a look at the most crucial changes to the Computer Crime Act."

How Japan's Line App Became A Culture-Changing, Revenue-Generating Phenomenon

Fast Company, 19 February 2015
"Less than four years after Line’s launch, the company says that more than 560 million people worldwide have registered as members, the majority of them in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. One hundred eighty one million users log in to the Line app each month. While that’s a smaller user base than WhatsApp (700 million monthly active users according to research firm Canalys), Facebook Messenger (500 million), and Tencent’s WeChat (480 million), Line has done a remarkable job of turning its popularity into a growing, diversified business."

Thailand to boost Internet coverage to push up economic growth

Reuters, 17 February 2015
"Thailand's military government plans to spend an initial 3.7 billion baht ($114 million) to make Internet broadband available to most of the population as part of plans to boost the economy, a minister said on Tuesday. Greater use of the Internet and electronic commerce should help boost output at small companies and operators in the agriculture sector especially, Pornchai Rujiprapa, minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), told Reuters."

Vietnam

Three Vietnamese bloggers get jail terms for "abusing democratic freedoms"

IFEX, 20 February 2015
"This statement was originally published on rsf.org on 17 February 2015. Reporters Without Borders condemns the sentences ranging from 12 to 18 months in prison that a people's court in the southern province of Dong Nai imposed last week on three bloggers – Le Thi Phuong Anh, Do Nam Trung and Pham Minh Vu – under criminal code article 258, which penalizes "abusing democratic freedoms." The sentences, passed on 12 February, were clearly unjust and violated freedom of information and expression."

Elsewhere in Asia

Concerns Grow Over Hong Kong Censorship

VOA, 20 February 2015
"In Hong Kong, where last year’s pro-democracy protests ended in a stalemate with the Beijing-backed government, there are signs of increasing state censorship. A new report has found that Hong Kong police have requested more web posts to be taken down during the last four months than in the previous four years combined."

Dissenting voices silenced in Pakistan's war of the web

The Guardian, 18 February 2015
"Pakistan already goes further than most in digitally shielding its citizens from the outside world. There are only two countries where Facebook blocks more content at the request of their governments, and a YouTube ban imposed two years ago shows no sign of being lifted. That is not enough for some. In a country becoming ever more sensitive to perceived insults to Islam it is not just clerics and hard-right religious parties who want more control over the internet, but also a group of tech-savvy activists who have built their own alternative Facebook. “We are the largest Muslim social network in history,” said Omer Zaheer Meer."

Japan sees 25 billion cyber attacks in 2014: Government agency

Economic Times, 17 February 2015
"The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), which has a network of a quarter of a million sensors, said there were 25.66 billion attempts to compromise systems, according to a report by Kyodo News. The figure includes attacks aimed at testing the vulnerability of software used in servers."

Tighter online controls in China point to major crackdown

Japan Times (AP), 17 February 2015
"On the Internet, in college classrooms and in corporate offices, the Chinese Communist Party has raised the virtual wall separating the most populous country from the rest of the globe. Experts say it reflects a distrust of outside influences that the party thinks could threaten its control on society. Companies that have depended for years on virtual private networks, or VPNs, to get around Chinese online censors and access business tools have seen those channels squeezed or shut down since the start of the year."

India: Has world's biggest democracy got a Big Brother problem?

CNN, 16 February 2015
"Like many of his counterparts across the world, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to stand with France in the wake of the deadly attack on the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. While most people in India were equally disgusted by the events in Paris, others felt it was preventable. Opposition National Congress Party lawmaker Mani Shankar Aiyar wrote an opinion piece claiming the magazine was "virtually inviting a reaction week after week." Kiran Bedi, a politician and former senior police officer, tweeted: "France Terror-Shoot-Out sends a message: why deliberately provoke or poke? Be respectful and civil. Don't hurt people's sensitivities!" But in a post on its Facebook page, the country's Aam Aadmi Party, or the "Common Man's Party" that just swept state elections in Delhi in an unprecedented victory, pointed to an issue much closer to home. "

Surge in web posts taken down by Hong Kong police sparks censorship fears

South China Morning Post, 15 February 2015
"A dramatic surge in the number of online posts destroyed by the Hong Kong police in recent months has fuelled fears of internet censorship and abuse of power. Figures released last week showed that the force "requested" the removal of more online content in the past four months than in the previous four years combined. The surge in figures coincided with the student-led Occupy Central movement, which typically used social media and online forums to organise events and demonstrations."

Week of February 8

Indonesia

Indonesia’s tech minister Rudiantara aims to raise $1B for startups

Tech in Asia, 13 February 2015
"Indonesia’s tech minister revealed earlier this week that he aims to raise about Rp 12 trillion (US$1 billion) to help develop Indonesia’s digital startups, reports Kompas. Rudiantara, the minister of communications and information technology, claims the funds will be collected from the nation’s large conglomerates. His goal is not just to raise funds for local companies, but also to persuade local conglomerates who invest or save their money in foreign countries to think about investing in Indonesian companies instead."

Indonesia and China agree to combat cyber terrorism

ANTARA, 10 February 2015
"Indonesia and China have agreed to cooperate to fight terrorist activities committed through the Internet, as a follow up to the program on eradicating terrorism signed between the two countries in 2014. The agreement was achieved during a meeting between Head of the Indonesian National Counter-terrorism Agency (BNPT) Commissioner General Saud Usman and Chinas Vice Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei in Beijing."

Millions of Facebook users have no idea they’re using the Internet

Quartz, 9 February 2015
"Indonesians surveyed by [Helani] Galpaya told her that they didn’t use the internet. But in focus groups, they would talk enthusiastically about how much time they spent on Facebook. Galpaya, a researcher (and now CEO) with LIRNEasia, a think tank, called Rohan Samarajiva, her boss at the time, to tell him what she had discovered. “It seemed that in their minds, the Internet did not exist; only Facebook,” he concluded.

Indonesians Believe in the Power of Personal Technology, Says Survey

The Wall Street Journal, 9 February 2015
"The majority of Internet users in Indonesia say personal technology has improved the way they work and learn, made it easier to start businesses and find cheaper products, according to a recent survey by U.S. technology giant Microsoft. The survey also highlights how increasingly connected Indonesians prefer to get the latest news and updates through social media rather than traditional mediums, such as newspapers and television."

Philippines

PNP anti-cybercrime group tracking uploader of SAF execution video

Interaksyon, 13 February 2015
"The Philippine National Police’s Anti-Cyber Crime Group has joined efforts to track down the persons responsible for uploading a six-minute video showing the execution of one of the Special Action Force commandos involved in the disastrous January 25 Mamasapano operation."

Singapore

Study: Most political blogs are balanced

AsiaOne, 14 February 2015
"The popular notion that the Internet is an irrational and vitriolic space has been debunked in a new study, which shows that most political blogs tend to be more objective. The study, spearheaded by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) research fellows Tan Tarn How and Carol Soon, shows that only three in 10 political blogs are completely one-sided in their commentaries. The rest include alternative views for balance, albeit to varying extents."

Parliament: Police have resources focused on tackling rise in cyber crimes

Straits Times, 13 February 2015
"While there is no dedicated cybercrime unit here, the police do have specific resources focused on tackling cybercrimes. Second Minister for Home Affairs S. Iswaran said this on Friday when asked what the police are doing to prevent a further escalation of e-commerce crimes. "Police are also constantly upgrading their cyber capabilities and they work closely with international partners and experts in order to track down persons who use the Internet to commit crimes," he said."

Facebook and Media Literacy Council join hands to prevent cyber bullying

The Straits Times, 9 February 2015
"Facebook and the Media Literacy Council on Monday launched a site for the prevention of cyber bullying. The site, called the Bullying Prevention Centre, provides resources for teens, parents, and teachers in Singapore, was launched here after its success in the United States and Britain. Its launch comes in time for the Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, a global initiative that invites everyone - young people, parents, teachers, educators, industry and safety organizations - to come together to focus on what can be done to 'create a better Internet together'."

New Cyber Security Agency need to work with other countries: Yaacob

The Straits Times, 9 February 2015
"An upcoming cyber security agency will not only co-ordinate the nation's defence against internet threats but also work with other countries, said Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information. "Beyond a whole-of-nation effort, the coordination of cyber-security functions within Singapore is just one piece of the puzzle," said Dr Yaacob of the new Cyber Security Agency, which will from April oversee the cyber security of 10 critical sectors, including power and transport. It will also take charge of developing the nation's cyber security master plan, taking over from the Infocomm Development Authority."

Thailand

Thai junta to diplomats: lèse majesté is 'cultural offense'

Prachatai, 12 February 2015
"A spokesperson for Thailand's military junta explained to a group of foreign dignitaries today that the Kingdom's lese majeste law is needed to protect the "feelings" of the Thai people. Thailand’s lese majeste law, the strictest of its kind in the world, criminalizes criticism of the monarchy with up to 15 years in prison. Since seizing power in a coup d'etat on 22 May 2014, the ruling junta has rigorously enforced the law to crackdown on perceived "anti-monarchists," granting martial courts jurisdiction over lese majeste cases. Human rights groups say the law is abused to silence critics and political enemies."

Thailand agency defends mass cyber surveillance

The Straits Times, 12 February 2015
"Defending the agency's controversial mass Internet surveillance aimed at stamping out criticism of Thailand's monarchy, Mr Takorn said in an interview: "We want to clear everything up. The feelings of people towards kings and monarchies are different from one country to another. "In Thailand, we love the King so much that we regard His Majesty as the soul of the nation... We do not criticise the King. This is the tradition, the norm and the culture of Thailand.""

Network queries need for cyber, data security laws

The Nation, 11 February 2015
"The Thai Netizen Network has urged the government to withdraw both the Cyber Security Bill and the Personal Data Protection Bill from the Council of State's consideration, because the bills needed to be not just revised but redeveloped. Arthit Suriyawongkul, the network's coordinator, proposed action on the two bills at a forum hosted yesterday by Media Inside Out. "The principles behind these bills are unacceptable and cannot be improved by just revising the details," he said. "There is another draft of [the Personal Data Protection Bill], and we need the government to bring that draft [forward] to be considered.""

Thailand's new (and controversial) cyber laws – Part 1: Introduction

Asian Correspondent, 10 February 2015
"The Thai military government has greenlit a large batch of draft laws that aim to pave the way for the digitization of governance and state business. However, they also come with a slew of strengthened cyber surveillance and censorship upgrades for the authorities."

Lese majeste and computer crime charges for ASTV webmaster

Phuket News, 8 February 2015
The Military Court has approved an arrest warrant for the webmaster of ASTV Manager for disseminating a forged statement from the Royal Household Bureau about His Majesty the King’s health, police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said on Saturday (February 7).

Government called on to take leading role in dealing with cyber threats

The Nation, 8 February 2015
"The government has been urged to lead multiple stakeholders in protecting critical infrastructure against cyber threats. The call was made yesterday by panellists at an open forum on the subject hosted by the Information and Communications Technology Law Centre, a member of the public organisation the Electronic Transactions Development Agency, which is drafting the digital economy bills."

Vietnam

Vietnamese browser Coc Coc ranks second in popularity after Chrome

VietnamNet, 10 February 2015
"Coc Coc, the Vietnamese developed browser and search engine, has surpassed Firefox and Internet Explorer to become the second most popular browser, after Chrome, in Vietnam."

As technology entrepreneurs multiply in Vietnam, so do regulations

The New York Times, 8 February 2015
"Vietnam is now among Southeast Asia’s most promising markets for high-tech growth, said Dung Nguyen, the director for Vietnam and Thailand at CyberAgent Ventures, a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that has invested in 15 Vietnamese start-ups since 2009. He said e-commerce, music-streaming services and smartphone games were the hot growth areas right now. But some of the country’s Internet entrepreneurs and multinational technology corporations say the new and pending regulations signal that Vietnam’s regulatory approach to the Internet is increasingly out of step with its blossoming technology scene."

Elsewhere in Asia

European business group slams China's Internet controls

Reuters, 12 February 2015
"China's Internet curbs are isolating it from the world and having a "highly detrimental" impact on business, a European lobby said on Thursday, in an unusually strong statement by a foreign business chamber."

China’s Internet Censorship Anthem Is Revealed, Then Deleted

The New York Times, 12 February 2015
"During the talent show portion of a Lunar New Year celebration held on Tuesday by the Beijing Internet Association and attended by many of the country’s leading media figures and Internet executives, the Cyberspace Administration debuted what can only be described as a semiofficial anthem." (Watch the video by Washington Post's Post TV

India: Facebook launches free mobile Internet service in India

Yahoo! News (Reuters), 10 February 2015 "Facebook has tied up with India's Reliance Communications to provide basic internet services on mobile phones for free, making India the first country in Asia to get Facebook's Internet.org service. The companies will first offer the app in seven of India's 22 regions, or zones and it will then go nationwide in the next 90 days, Gurdeep Singh, chief executive of Reliance's consumer business told reporters."

China: Net regulator to meet US ambassador on WeChat

AsiaOne, 10 February 2015 "Lu Wei, head of the Chinese Internet regulator, and the US Ambassador to China Max Baucus are WeChat buddies. And they will use the most popular instant messaging tool in the country to discuss the thorniest cyberissues the two countries face. It's unclear whether they'll use emojis - animated emoticons - in their chat threads. That might be a first in international diplomacy. At a Chinese New Year reception held by the Cyberspace Administration Office of China, Lu told Baucus that he would welcome an exchange of views on Internet regulation via WeChat, a social networking tool developed by Tencent Holdings that boasts more than 400 million users worldwide."

Japan: Tokyo cyber security competition draws 90 hackers

GMA News, 8 February 2015 "A cyber security competition began Saturday in Tokyo, with organizers aiming to show off the skills of young Japanese hackers by testing them against international rivals. The final rounds of the Security Contest 2014, or SECCON, brought together 90 participants in 24 teams from seven nations and regions: China, Japan, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States."

China: Restrictions on virtual private networks anger Chinese technophiles

South China Morning Post, 8 February 2015 "Internet entrepreneur Zander Wang has been forced to switch from the Gmail account he has used for years to Outlook. "It's a shame. Gmail is secure and has hardly any bugs. But I have to give it up," the 28-year-old said. "It has become the most difficult email to access in China, especially since my VPN services were blocked." Last month, the mainland clamped down on virtual private networks, the services that many rely on to breach the Great Firewall of online censorship."

Week of February 1

Cambodia

Women Turn to Mobile Apps to End Violence

The Cambodia Daily, 7 February 2015
"In a new initiative aimed at ending such attitudes and behavior using technology, Ms. [Phat] Sreytouch and two other female activists—Ac­tionAid program officer Bunn Ra­chana and blogger Sum Dany—are set to begin working with developers to create mobile applications that help protect women. The trio are recipients of the VXW Award, an initiative of the Asia Foundation that is being funded by U.K. Aid, which was launched in Phnom Penh on Friday. While Ms. Dany plans to create a system that targets domestic violence, Ms. Sreytouch wants to help women in the food and service sectors to increase their knowledge of their rights, and the assistance available to them. Ms. Rachana will focus on safety in public urban areas."

Net keeps telcos on their toes

The Phnom Penh Post, 7 February 2015
"Pressure is mounting on the Kingdom’s telecommunications industry to stay ahead of the game as the demand for data and mobile internet becomes a top priority for Cambodian consumers. As global smartphone manufacturers saturate Cambodia’s market in an effort to meet the demand for new technology, local telecom firms are being forced to provide increasingly competitive data rates and calculate new streams of revenue through value-added services."

Indonesia

Growth and infrastructure to boost IT spending

The Jakarta Post, 5 February 2015
"Local companies’ spending on IT is predicted to grow almost threefold in 2019 from spending in 2013 thanks to the growing domestic economy and better telecommunications infrastructure, according to a report. “We predict that enterprises’ IT spending will reach US$3.8 billion in 2019,” said Ajay Sunder, vice president for ICT practice in the Asia Pacific region at research firm Frost & Sullivan. Last year, IT spending among domestic companies stood at around $1.6 billion, he added. The increase in IT spending would be driven by better economic conditions and the growing number of people who connect to each other digitally, Ajay said. Indonesia will have around 1.7 billion connected devices by 2020 with over 470 million mobile subscribers and over 200 million active Internet users, according to the research firm."

A cleric in the world’s most populous Muslim nation has declared selfies a sin

Quartz, 1 February 2015
"A young Indonesian young cleric is taking a stand against selfies. In a 17- point manifesto posted on Twitter last week, popular Indonesian author and speaker Felix Siauw argued that taking a selfie often means succumbing to pride, arrogance, and ostentation—all of which make them a sin under Islam, according to Siauw. He specifically criticizes Muslim women, writing, “These days many Muslim women are taking selfies without shame. There are usually nine frames in one photo with facial poses that are just–my goodness–where’s the purity in women?” according to a translation by Coconuts Jakarta."

Malaysia

Be ethical when using social media, says Shabery Cheek – Bernama

The Malaysian Insider, 6 February 2015
"The public should be more ethical when using the social media and avoid publicising contents which can embarrass others, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek. He said they should be aware that not all matters could be shared in the social media."

Myanmar (Burma)

Extremist Buddhists spearhead anti-Muslim sentiment in Burma

The Irish Times, 7 February 2015
"Burmese political blogger Nay Phone Latt was jailed for sharing news online about the monk-led saffron revolution in 2007 against the country’s brutal military dictatorship. Released under an amnesty for political prisoners three years ago, he is involved in another kind of revolution, one against hate speech targeting Muslims that is becoming more and more prevalent in Burmese society. The internet in Burma was once among the most restricted in the world but, since the lifting of censorship, people can now access whatever they want. Internet availability is still scarce but, with telecommunications infrastructure developing at a fast pace, many use the internet via mobile phones. Social media, especially Facebook, has become a popular way to discuss politics and share views and opinions, something not possible before. However, not only has it led to greater political debate, it has also lead to an outpouring of hateful and racist sentiment towards Muslims who make up about 4 per cent of the population."

The Philippines

Poverty breeds cyber crimes, says DSWD

Bohol News Today, 5 February 2015
"Poverty is still the culprit. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is partly right as it cited “Poverty and lack of stringent laws,” one of the root causes, have generated what it called cyber pornography and cyber prostitution at the advent of technological advances. Reducing, if not eliminating, the occurrence of cyber crimes that continue to prey on innocent minors has pushed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to hold the four-day 2nd round of ASEAN Conference on Working Toward a Cyber-Pornography-Free Southeast Asia at Bohol Tropics Resort Club in this capital city on April 22-26, 2013. The conference has considerably identified some factors that contributed to the proliferation of the cyber pornography and cyber prostitution. And it appears it’s determined to combat these cyber crimes by understanding its dynamics and realities and through inter-country linkages in this part of the globe, says the DSWD."

Singapore

Online betting sites blocked as Remote Gambling Act kicks in

Channel News Asia, 3 February 2015
"Visitors to online gambling sites would have found themselves shut out on Monday (Feb 2) after the authorities blocked access to several hundred of them, as laws to curb remote gambling kicked in. The list of websites to be blocked will be regularly reviewed, but details will not be made public, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesperson told TODAY."

Thailand

LINE TV launches in Thailand

ThaiTech, 7 February 2015
"LINE has launched a new YouTube style video service in Thailand. The company, which is best known for its hugely popular instant messaging and chat app of the same name has launched LINE TV. LINE TV is available on iOS, Android or via the web and includes a host of popular TV shows and music videos from Thailand, Korea and Japan, reports Jon Russell at TechCrunch."

Journalist Alan Morison to return to Thailand despite defamation jail sentence threat

The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 February 2015
"Australian journalist Alan Morison says he returning to Thailand to face defamation charges and a possible seven-year jail sentence because he is prepared to fight for freedom of the media in the country he has made his home. "More than 100 journalists around the world are being persecuted in similar fashion using strong laws that shouldn't be used at all, so I think it's a very important to go back and defend our case," Mr Morison, 66, said before flying from Melbourne on Friday. "We must face this in the interests of a free media in Thailand," he said. Mr Morison, a former senior editor of The Age, and his Thai colleague Chutima Sidasathian, will face trial in July on charges of criminal defamation and computer crimes brought against them by the Royal Thai Navy."

Thailand Is Cracking Down on Drones

Slate, 5 February 2015
"On Dec. 1, 2013, supporters of Thailand’s opposition People’s Democratic Reform Committee launched themselves at police barricades near Bangkok’s Government House, the seat of power for the Thai government and a popular flashpoint for political protest. Black-clad police defenders walked behind a razor wire–covered barricade, readying a water cannon for action while protesters’ angry shouts mixed with the sharp pop of exploding tear gas canisters. A drone, flown by a citizen journalist standing a safe distance away from the action, recorded every second of the street battle. Shot by a YouTube user identified only as CyberJom, the December 2013 footage of the Bangkok protests quickly became an example of drones’ potential to afford average citizens the ability to shoot revealing aerial footage with ease. More drone videos from Thailand soon followed, portraying everything from beautiful tropical beaches to massive protests at Bangkok’s Victory Monument. But recently, Thailand’s new-to-power military junta announced new regulations that, if implemented, would make shooting dramatic drone videos like CyberJom’s an illegal activity for civilians lacking prior permission. Violating the ban would be punishable by as much as a year in prison and a fine of about $1,229. The new regulations aren’t just worrisome for Thailand’s long-beleaguered press corps—they should concern everyone who recognizes the potential of drones as an investigative reporting tool."

Parents of Former Thai Princess Accused of Lese Majeste

Chiang Rai Times, 5 February 2015
"The Royal Thai Police have reported that the parents of the former wife of Thailand’s Crown Prince, who resigned from her status as a member of the Royal Family last December, are facing charges of lese majeste. According to a Khaosod News article, lese majeste (insult of monarchy) charges were filed by Sawita Maneechan, a resident in Ratchaburi province. Sawita accused Apiruj and Wantanee Suwadee, the parents of former princess Srirasmi, of using their royal connection to bully her in 2003. Pol.Maj.Gen. Thitirat Nongharnpitak said police will investigate the allegation. Defaming the Royal Family is punishable by up to 15 years in prison under Thailand’s lese majeste law. Charges can be filed by any member of the public."

21,000 oppose new cyber laws

Bangkok Post, 3 February 2015
"Sarinee Achavanuntakul, chairman of the Foundation for Internet and Civic Culture, and representatives from the Thai Netizen Network, a non-profit advocacy group promoting online privacy and internet freedom,submitted 20,905 names of people signed through website Change.org opposing the proposed cyber legislation."

Thai Police Allege Internet Conspiracy to Insult Monarchy

ABC News, 3 February 2015
"Thai police have arrested six people accused of being part of a conspiracy to slander the country's monarchy on the Internet, in the latest move by the military-installed government limiting freedom of expression. Police said the six belong to a group called the Banpodj Network that allegedly spread anti-monarchy propaganda over social media. A police statement on Tuesday described the network as a serious threat to the monarchy and the nation's stability, saying it incited "chaos and hatred in society.""

Calls to hold cyber bills until democracy in Thailand restored

AsiaOne, 2 February 2015
"The 10 cyber-security bills should be halted and reconsidered after a democratically-elected Parliament has returned, said cyber activists who met yesterday to discuss the negative repercussions of the bills, which included, they argued, compromised Internet privacy. Also present at the Bangkok symposium was an Army Lieutenant who arrived uninvited with three other soldiers in an armoured Humvee and "asked" to be allowed to defend the draft bills. Opponents of the bills said the proposed laws would enable the authorities to set up committees that could access the personal data of people across all forms and formats without court orders, thus damaging the confidence of businesses while |jeopardising the privacy of individual Internet users."

Thailand's laws being used more often to silence journalists

South China Morning Post, 1 February 2015
"Thailand's restrictive laws on criminal defamation and computer crimes are increasingly being used to silence both the foreign and local media and human rights activists. The country is already known for having the strictest lèse-majesté laws in the world, effectively preventing any public discussion of the monarchy. Now, Thailand is experiencing a wave of prosecutions that appear designed to mute journalists and activists writing or speaking out about corruption and human rights abuses especially. That has made the local and foreign media increasingly wary about what stories they cover."

Vietnam

Vietnamese search engine Coc Coc raises $14m from Gernamy’s Hubert Burda

Dealstreet Asia, 6 February 2015
"Coc Coc Co Ltd, the Vietnam-based search engine developer, has confirmed that it has received an investment of $14 million from Germany’s media platform Hubert Burda. The money will be disbursed to the Vietnamese startup within 18 months. A marketing official told DEALSTREETASIA that the search engine developer has, so far, received $20 million in funding. The German investment deal, therefore, brings the figure to a total of $34 million."

Ministry to take action against “malicious information” on the Internet

VietnamNet, 4 February 2015
"Deputy Minister of Information & Communication Truong Minh Tuan said in an interview with VNE online newspaper that the Ministry would take comprehensive measures to prevent "malicious information" on social networks and blogs that harm national interests."

Vietnam’s government sites bombarded by cyber attacks in January

Thanh Nien News, 3 February 2015
"Vietnam's government websites suffered thousands of cyber attacks in the first month of 2015, nearly 20 times the attacks suffered during the entirety of 2014, according to a recent report."

Elsewhere in Asia

Pakistan: YouTube to remain blocked in Pakistan 'indefinitely': Officials

The Economic Times (AFP), 7 February 2015
"YouTube will remain blocked in Pakistan 'indefinitely', an official said Saturday, as experts have failed to find a way to filter content deemed offensive and blasphemous in the Muslim majority country. The video-sharing website has been blocked in Pakistan since September 2012 over its hosting of the "Innocence of Muslims" movie that sparked furious protests around the world."

China’s cyber regulator says all mainland internet users must register real personal details

South China Morning Post, 5 February 2014
"The mainland's 649 million internet users will be required to register their real identities under new rules imposed by the cyber regulator yesterday as the nation continues to tighten its grip on free speech. The new regulation, expected to come into effect next month, will require internet users to submit identity details to website administrators for all online accounts, including blogs, instant messaging platforms, Twitter-like microblogs and forums."

China: WeChat messages to be used as evidence in court

ECNS.CN, 5 February 2015
"According to a judicial interpretation by the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China, online chat logs, text messages, e-mails and personal micro blogs as well as other digital messages can be used as evidence for civil cases from Feb 4, 2015."