Asia Media Watch

 Published last month:  Journalist Rana Ayyub receives death threats over calls demanding a column on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as CPJ urges swift action to protect journalists in India.

 Published last month:  Global journalist unions condemn the Indonesian agriculture minister’s lawsuit against Tempo, calling it a threat to press freedom and demanding that the case be withdrawn.

 Published last month:  Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.

 Published last month:  India’s government has proposed strict new rules mandating the labelling of AI-generated and deepfake media to curb misinformation and ensure content authenticity on social platforms.

 Published last month:  Vietnamese authorities seize BBC journalist’s passport amid interrogation, sparking outrage as Hanoi leader To Lam visits the UK. Rights groups urge her release.

 Published last month:  In a historic first, a Bishkek court declares Kloop, Temirov Live, and their founders extremist, marking Kyrgyzstan’s sharpest assault on press freedom under President Japarov.

 Published last month:  IFJ and over 300 global unions urge ASEAN to reject the Myanmar junta’s sham 2025 election, calling it an illegal attempt to legitimize military rule.

 Published last month:  IFJ and NUJP condemn the killing of Filipino broadcaster Noel Bellen Samar in Albay, urging swift justice and stronger protections for journalists in the Philippines.

 Published last month:  Afghan media worker Abdul Zahir Safi was killed in Kabul, the second journalist slain in two days amid rising Afghanistan-Pakistan border tensions.

 Published last month:  Afghan journalist Abdul Ghafoor Abed was killed and another was injured while covering Taliban-Pakistan border clashes, prompting the IFJ to demand protection for media.

 Published 2 months ago:  Indonesia restores CNN journalist’s access after revoking it over questions on Prabowo’s free meal programme that sickened 6,000 children, sparking press freedom concerns.

 Published 2 months ago:  The body of journalist Rajeev Pratap, missing for 10 days in Uttarkashi, was found in the Bhagirathi River on September 28. Family alleges threats and foul play.

 Published 2 months ago:  Border News Agency reporter Mu Dra was abducted in Maungdaw on Sept 20; CPJ demands her release and warns this attack endangers press freedom in Rakhine state.

 Published 2 months ago:  Indonesia’s defence ministry defends the military’s role in health, farming, and education under Prabowo Subianto, sparking debate over militarisation and democracy.

 Published 2 months ago:  Taliban’s ban on fiber optic internet in Balkh and nine provinces sparks outrage. CPJ urges immediate restoration to protect press freedom in Afghanistan.

 Published 2 months ago:  Global unions condemn Myanmar’s sham elections scheduled for December, calling them a mockery of democracy. With journalists jailed and repression ongoing, they urge global rejection.

 Published 2 months ago:  Four journalists were injured during Nepal’s social media ban protests in Kathmandu, as press freedom groups condemn police violence against the media.

 Published 2 months ago:  Nepal lifts social media ban after deadly protests left 19 dead. Curfew remains as Gen Z demonstrators defy restrictions and demand reforms.

 Published 2 months ago:  At least 19 dead as Nepalese police clash with protesters over a social media ban. Curfews were imposed in Kathmandu amid widespread unrest.

 Published 3 months ago:  Bangladeshi journalist Monjurul Alam Panna has been arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act. IFJ and BMSF demand his immediate release.

 Published 3 months ago:  Bangladesh journalist Bibhuranjan Sarkar was found dead in the Meghna River after alleged threats. His death sparks outrage and demands for an independent probe.

 Published 3 months ago:  CPJ calls on Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to reject a new bill that threatens press freedom, warning it could dismantle independent journalism and democracy.

 Published 3 months ago:  A controversial media bill revived in the Maldivian parliament seeks to create a powerful new regulator with sweeping punitive powers. The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have condemned the proposal, warning that it threatens press freedom, silences independent journalism, and undermines democracy.

 Published 3 months ago:  Vietnamese authorities have issued an arrest warrant for journalist Doan Bao Chau under Article 117, a law often used to silence reporters. CPJ condemned the move, urging Vietnam to end its legal harassment of journalists and respect press freedom.

 Published 3 months ago:  On the fourth anniversary of the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan’s media faces escalating persecution, censorship, and violence. Independent outlets are shuttered, women in media are silenced, and journalists are detained, harassed, and forced into exile. The IFJ urges urgent international action to protect press freedom.

 Published 4 months ago:  Bangladeshi journalist Md Asaduzzaman Tuhin was stabbed to death in Gazipur on August 7 after reporting on local extortion. The IFJ condemns the killing and calls for urgent action to protect journalists amid rising violence in Bangladesh.

 Published 4 months ago:  Regional media unions and civil society groups demand journalist safety guarantees and information access following the deadly Cambodia-Thailand border conflict that left 43 dead.

 Published 4 months ago:  The Taliban's crackdown on media in July 2025 led to the arrest of at least seven Afghan journalists. The IFJ and AIJU have called for their immediate release and an end to the persecution of independent media.