On 20 August 2021, Asia Centre will release a baseline study, COVID-19 and SDGs: Internet Freedoms in Southeast Asia, that evaluates the progress made towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 9.C (Access and Affordability of Internet) and SDG 16.10 (Fundamental Freedoms and Access to Information) and its impact on internet freedoms. The study analyses how the pandemic has exerted a debilitating effect onto the development of internet infrastructure, fundamental freedoms and access to information. Recommendations, in strengthening the framework and commitment towards the SDGs, are outlined in the baseline study. Research for the study was undertaken (15 January to 30 July 2021), and covers the period from March 2020 to June 2021 of the situation in the 10 Southeast Asian countries encompassing Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It examines the existing laws, new bills and emergency decrees and temporary laws.

This report is a joint project with Thai Media Fund and the launch event is jointly organised with the Regional Human Rights Centre of Ubon Ratchathani University, Empower Freedom Defenders in East and Southeast Asia (EFDEA) and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).