Asia Media Watch

 Published yesterday:  RSF says China is expanding its influence on Thai media through diplomatic pressure, content partnerships and sponsored trips for journalists.

 Published 2 days ago:  At a KAS conference in Chiang Mai, Asian media leaders warned that criminal defamation laws, online harassment and legal restrictions are squeezing independent journalism across the region.

 Published 2 days ago:  X told the Delhi High Court that forged police takedown notices targeting two Indian digital-rights groups were submitted, exposing risks to online free speech.

 Published 4 days ago:  Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu was ordered back to prison labor weeks after cancer surgery, his family told the Committee to Protect Journalists.

 Published last week:  Policing of newsrooms to force disclosure of confidential sources raises legal questions about searches, press protections and judicial oversight that vary by country.

 Published last week:  Rights groups urged Indonesia to reform military justice after the Constitutional Court ruled the 1997 law must be amended within two years to protect civilians.

 Published last week:  Asian independent newsrooms pursue memberships, subscriptions, donations and philanthropy to diversify revenue and safeguard editorial independence.

 Published 2 weeks ago:  Journalists covering protests in Asia face legal limits on access, police powers and detention risks, with arrests in India sparking guidelines and court review.

 Published 2 weeks ago:  Millions of Afghans rely on radio after the Taliban suspended BBC FM nationwide in October 2026; the BBC still distributes programmes via other channels.

 Published 2 weeks ago:  Japan sent a senior diplomat to Moscow to seek the immediate release and consular access for journalist Yuki Imai, detained in Russia on espionage allegations.

 Published 2 weeks ago:  A Netrokona court granted three days of police remand for Ashikur Rahman Prangon, the second suspect arrested in journalist Alif Fakir's murder case.

 Published 3 weeks ago:  Bangladesh police arrested a suspect in the Oct 15 killing of journalist Alif in Netrokona, saying he carried a bag with the weapons used in the attack.

 Published 3 weeks ago:  Nearly 35 journalists covering Delhi protests were detained, with some manhandled or having phones seized, even after showing press IDs and despite a Supreme Court directive to protect media access.

 Published last month:  Myanmar's junta says it sought Interpol notices, revoked passports and extradition for staff of five exile news outlets, extending its media crackdown abroad.

 Published last month:  Delhi Police detained a journalist and supporters who camped outside Parliament Street seeking an FIR after she accused a senior officer of sexual harassment.

 Published last month:  Independent Press Council Myanmar launched a programme to provide emergency relocation, financial aid and legal documents to threatened or exiled journalists.

 Published last month:  Rajshahi University formed a five-member panel to probe an alleged Chhatra Dal attack that injured ten people, including four campus journalists.

 Published last month:  The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) will cease operations on Sept. 30 after 37 years, citing a funding crisis that made its work unsustainable.

 Published last month:  Indonesia widened a search for a speedboat carrying five journalists near Anak Krakatau, deploying 13 vessels in four sectors with no confirmed trace yet.

 Published 2 months ago:  Taliban forces raided Rah-e-Farda TV's Kabul offices on Sept. 6, forced it off air and detained owner Salman Akhlaqi, drawing calls for his release.

 Published 2 months ago:  The Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia canceled a Delhi seminar after police returned its security request with a note saying the event was not allowed due to controversies.

 Published 2 months ago:  Nepal requires foreign journalists covering Bhote Koshi floods to secure government accreditation, submit documentation and collect press IDs in person from the Information Department.

 Published 2 months ago:  Unions in Nepal and Sri Lanka called for the release of three Bangladeshi journalists detained in a crimes-against-humanity case tied to the 2024 student uprising, warning that prosecuting reporters for press questions endangers regional press freedom.

 Published 2 months ago:  A Bangladesh tribunal's custody of three journalists over press-conference questions raises whether asking a question can amount to a crime under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act.

 Published 2 months ago:  Tribunal orders three journalists produced over alleged July 2024 uprising links, prompting rights groups to warn the case could erode press freedom.

 Published 2 months ago:  Police searched journalist Ravi Nair's homes and seized devices in a probe over his posts about a US newspaper investigation, raising concerns about press freedom.

 Published 2 months ago:  Kishor Shrestha's arrest over an alleged privacy breach has sparked debate about using criminal law against journalists and the seizure of newsroom equipment.

 Published 3 months ago:  Philippine debate over 16 journalists' Israel-sponsored trip raises ethical questions about sponsored access and risks to journalistic independence.