What is the landscape of misinformation and disinformation in Southeast Asia, especially regarding the campaigns involving China? In this episode, Dr. Ian Chong hosts a conversation with Sutawan Chanprasert, founder of DigitalReach, and Ibrahim Suffian, director of Merdeka Center, on the disinformation campaigns observed in Southeast Asia, and how to address it.
Dr. Ian Chong is a nonresident scholar at Carnegie China, where he examines U.S.-China dynamics in Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific. He is also an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.
Sutawan Chanprasert is a founder of the Bangkok-based organization DigitalReach, which explores the impact of technology on human rights in Southeast Asia.
Ibrahim Suffian is the director of Merdeka Center, a public opinion polling and political surveys organization in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In this episode, the scholars discuss how the Belt and Road Initiative has affected perceptions of China in Southeast Asia and the China-Southeast Asia relations.
The three scholars discuss how tensions over the Taiwan Strait affect Southeast Asia, and how the regional states and ASEAN look at the current dynamics.
Three scholars share their insights on the role China is playing in the South China Sea, and the wider implications of the ongoing disputes and their trajectories for Southeast Asia and beyond.