COMPLETION REPORT
Research on Fake News and Lessons from Japan for Southeast Asi
James Gomez
Chairperson, Board of Director
Asia Centre, Thailand
The problematization of fake news occurred after the 2016 United States presidential election. At first,
the question raised was the prospect of foreign interference in domestic democratic processes via
influence operations. However, this soon expanded to questions over the role of giant technologicalcompanies and their social media platforms in the context of democratic practices, and dissemination offalse or misleading contents.
In Southeast Asia, when general elections were looming, the implications of fake news or online
disinformation were examined and discussed. Unlike the United States, where President Trump has
invoked ‘fake news’ to attack the reputation of fact-based traditional media, what emerged was that
authorities in Southeast Asia were more preoccupied with discrediting vocal critics of those in power.
Hence, this led to a series of announcements to introduce legislation to curb fake news. Often theseannouncements were made in the period leading to elections or rise of political activities changing thepolitical authority of the incumbents.
Traditionally, since the introduction of the internet to the region in 1995, Southeast Asia governments
have succeeded in forestalling democratic potential of the internet by enacting legislation. Suchlegislation is often introduced in the run up or following heightened political activity such as elections
or public resistance to the state. In the present context, its target is content disseminated, discussed andshared on social media. that critiques the currently ruling elites. Invoking ‘fake news’ as a threat to public
morality, social harmony and reputation of public institutions, the decision to introduce fake news
legislation, or non-legal measure, is the latest installment in the decades long efforts by illiberal
democracies to suppress dissent against its rule.
Measures to address online disinformation differ, from drafting new legislation, or reforming the existingones, to using non-legal approaches such as fact-checking platforms, information monitoring centres. In
any case, the most important concern remains unaddressed: who decides the truth? With the tendency todisregard its own propaganda, governments in the region are assuming the role of arbiter of truth, whichpose the risk that countermeasures to fake news are everything but another tool in governments’disposal to manipulate online discussion and shape public opinion. In the worst case scenario, thesemeasures could be used to whitewash officials’ wrongdoings and lay blame on critics for spreading fakenews, which may invite criminal investigations and lawsuits. Overall, this is creating a chilling effect on
freedom of expression and is encouraging self-censorship.
Certainly, this is not to deny that harmful effects of fake news, or online disinformation, do not exist, but
policymakers need to tread carefully when responding to the challenge, lest the cure for fake news isworse than the disease. Observations from the 2017 prosecution of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, 2018
elections in Camondia and Malaysia and 2019 elections in Indonesia and Thailand, fake news andgovernment responses can go beyond character assassination to physical harm, or, worse, large scalecommunal violence.

Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
18 Nov. 2019, Liberal Democratic Party of Japan’s Headquarters, Briefing for Parliamentary
Caucus, Fake News Legislation in Southeast Asia, James Gomez
21 Nov. 2019, Japan Federation of Bar Associations, Briefing for Japan Federation of BarAssociations, Fake News and Hate Speech in Southeast Asia, James Gomez
21 Nov. 2019, Sophia University, Institute of International Relations, seminar, Hate Speech andImpacts on Human Rights in Southeast Asia, James Gomez
25 Nov. 2019, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, seminar, Fake News
Legislation in Southeast Asia, James Gomez
26 Nov 2019, Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University, Fake News Legislation in Southeast Asia,James Gomez
27 Nov. 2019, Osaka Jogakuin University, seminar, Fake News Legislation in Southeast Asia, JamesGomez
Sumitomo Grant Aids Asia Centre’s Engagements in Japan:
https://asiacentre.org/sumitomo-grant-aids-asia-centres-engagements-in-japan/
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
N/A
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
The research findings from this project will be incorporated into the introduction of the forthcoming
book.
Palgrave Macmillan (upcoming), Fake News and Elections in Southeast Asia: Impact on
Democracy, James Gomez and Robin Ramcharan (eds.)
List Book Project and link
https://asiacentre.org/fake-news-cfc/