used to censor books, songs, social media and other on- and offline content. In Viet Nam, Amnesty International found that state agents, or persons acting on their behalf, were likely behind a campaign targeting dozens of social media accounts using Predator spyware, while the Thai government failed to address concerns about its use of Pegasus spyware against human rights defenders, politicians and civil society activists. Judicial harassment of those who shared information or expressed views critical of or deemed sensitive by governments was also commonplace. Journalists and activists in Viet Nam were prosecuted and imprisoned for “disseminating propaganda against the state”. In the Maldives, journalists were arrested for reporting on protests and other events. In Malaysia, the government not only failed to act on pledges to repeal laws restricting the rights to freedom of expression, but continued to use them to investigate film makers and book editors among others. In Thailand, authorities persisted in applying laws restricting online communication to prosecute critics, while government critics in the Philippines continued to face spurious charges. Peaceful calls for Papuan independence remained an imprisonable offence in Indonesia. In Laos, long-standing patterns of intimidation, arbitrary detention as well as unlawful killing, and enforced disappearance against human rights defenders continued. Likewise in Pakistan, journalists, human rights defenders and critics of the government and military establishment were among those subjected to arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance. There were signs that transnational repression of dissent was becoming entrenched. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities pursued activists, including nationals who had fled abroad, issuing arrest warrants, offering financial rewards and pressuring other countries to repatriate them. Two human rights defenders returned from Laos were subsequently detained in China. The Viet Nam authorities were implicated in the abduction from Thailand of a prominent YouTuber, while a Laotian human rights defender was shot dead in Thailand. Governments must repeal all laws and regulations that criminalize or otherwise restrict legitimate expression, end all unjustified investigations or prosecutions related to the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression, and respect media freedoms. FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION With the exception of Fiji, where there were signs of greater tolerance, governments across the region sought to further curtail the right to peaceful assembly. In Thailand criminal charges had been brought against nearly 2,000 people by the end of the year in connection with their participation in protests for political and social reform which began in 2020. The number of people detained for taking part in events to commemorate victims of an apartment block fire in Urumqi, China, in 2022 and associated protests against Covid-19 restrictions will probably never be known, but there were reports of ongoing harassment of participants and a Uyghur student was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for posting a video of the protests on social media. In Malaysia and Mongolia, authorities continued to use repressive laws to restrict the right to peaceful protest, while in South Korea, the increasingly hard line against “illegal” protests set the scene for extortionate claims for damages by a state-owned company against disability rights campaigners. In Myanmar, dozens of people were arrested for wearing flowers to mark the birthday of the imprisoned former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Unlawful use of force leading to injuries and sometimes deaths remained common. In Afghanistan, the Taliban reportedly used firearms, water cannons and stun guns to disperse demonstrations including protests in support of women’s rights, among others. Authorities in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka sought to ban protests and frequently resorted to excessive and other unlawful force against protesters ‒ deaths and many injuries resulted in both countries. 42 The State of the World’s Human Rights