Digital Rights. Open Technology. Video for Change.
DRAPAC26: where the Asia-Pacific digital rights movement meets
The 2026 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly is just one week away, bringing together over 500 human rights defenders, activists, policymakers, technologists, academics, and more from across the regional digital rights movement. DRAPAC26 in Manila, Philippines, is being held at a time when the Asia-Pacific region faces profound and escalating challenges to digital rights and internet […]
The 2026 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly is just one week away, bringing together over 500 human rights defenders, activists, policymakers, technologists, academics, and more from across the regional digital rights movement. DRAPAC26 in Manila, Philippines, is being held at a time when the Asia-Pacific region faces profound and escalating challenges to digital rights and internet freedom, and spaces for rights defenders continue to shrink. Hear from the Foundation for Media Alternatives, DAKILA – the Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, and EngageMedia about what you can expect from DRAPAC26 and – if you haven’t registered – why you should consider joining us in Manila. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1068" height="1600" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0.png" alt="" class="wp-image-75091 size-full" style="object-position:58% 41%" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0.png 1068w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-467x700.png 467w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-768x1151.png 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-1025x1536.png 1025w" sizes="(max-width: 1068px) 100vw, 1068px" /> Phet Sayo EngageMedia DRAPAC is a flagship programme for EngageMedia to bring together civic tech actors from the region – including human rights defenders, advocates, thought-leaders, researchers, policy-makers, and an emerging, next-generation of actors. Please join us at DRAPAC26, the fourth edition of the regional DRAPAC assembly. DRAPAC26 will be a space for us to think together, learn from each other, shape agendas, make connections, contribute to field building, and reach solidarity in our positions around challenges for the region. The financing of the civic tech ecosystem is in crisis. At the same time, we face a rise in authoritarianism and democracy backsliding, making working against digital repression risky as well as operationally unsustainable. DRAPAC26 will be a platform for us to think about shared solutions – immediate and long-term. <img decoding="async" width="1280" height="1920" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-1-2-1280x1920.png" alt="" class="wp-image-75133 size-full" style="object-position:50% 21%" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-1-2-1280x1920.png 1280w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-1-2-467x700.png 467w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-1-2-768x1152.png 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-1-2-1024x1536.png 1024w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/0-1-2.png 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /> Liza Garcia Foundation for Media Alternatives The digital rights space has been going through a lot in recent years. Funding cuts, attacks on civil society, and the rise of tech oligarchy place the future of digital freedoms and civic space in danger. This is why solidarity within the movement matters now, more than ever. On June 8-10, 2026, the digital rights community in the Asia-Pacific is coming together in Manila for DRAPAC26, and the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) is proud to be one of its co-hosts. DRAPAC is more than just a conference. It is a vital space where civil society takes center stage and converges to discuss and debate, strategize and shape the digital future that we imagine for our region, based on our contexts and lived realities. It brings together digital defenders, human rights advocates, technologists, activists, artists, academia and the private sector for an exchange of ideas and sharing of work and experiences. It is where meaningful dialogues, partnerships, connections and collaboration happen. To make this convening even more meaningful, we need as many voices as we can, representing as many communities and sectors as possible. We need you. As Executive Director of the FMA, a civil society organization in the Philippines built by rights advocates and communities who believe that Filipinos should have access to and be safe on the Internet, I personally invite you to join us in DRAPAC26. Let’s grab a cup of coffee, learn from each other, and imagine a better digital future for all of us, one conversation at a time. <img decoding="async" width="1294" height="728" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design.png" alt="" class="wp-image-75160 size-full" style="object-position:50% 50%" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design.png 1294w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-700x394.png 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-768x432.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1294px) 100vw, 1294px" /> Leni Velasco DAKILA There is no shortage of crises in our region. What we are running out of are spaces where people can gather across movements, disciplines, and borders to imagine what comes next. For artists, storytellers, educators, students, filmmakers, human rights defenders, and democracy advocates: this is why DRAPAC26 matters. Today, narratives shape what we believe is possible. They influence our politics, our technologies, our relationships, our fears, and our futures. When these narratives are concentrated in the hands of a few institutions, platforms, and power structures, democracy itself becomes smaller. But when communities build narratives together, they create the conditions for collective action, solidarity, and transformation. At DAKILA, we believe culture is where movements live, grow, and fight for meaning. Through DRAPAC26, we want to explore how we build shared narrative infrastructure, common resources, and collective imagination that can strengthen human rights and democracy in increasingly complex digital realities. DRAPAC26 is a space to exchange knowledge, test ideas, build relationships, and create together across sectors and geographies. If you care about stories, power, technology, democracy, and the futures we are building — we hope you join us. Because the narratives shaping tomorrow should belong to all of us. Be part of DRAPAC26 Still haven’t registered for DRAPAC26? Get your ticket at https://drap.ac/26/attendees/ before registration closes on June 7, 2026. Tickets are free for all grassroots human rights defenders and participants who wish to join remotely. All ticket proceeds go towards supporting the attendance of the DRAPAC26 Fellowship cohort. For participants joining in-person, check out the Information for Attendees page for instructions, reminders, and other details related to your attendance in Manila. Remote registration is available for those unable to attend in Manila. Hybrid access is limited to plenaries and select sessions. More information will be made available soon on the Information for Attendees page. We invite you to be part of DRAPAC26, and we’d be thrilled to welcome you to Manila.
Myanmar Digital Coup Quarterly: February 2026 – April 2026
In this edition, covering February 2026 to April 2026, it can be observed that the junta continues to enact new laws to justify further online surveillance, internet shutdowns and other forms of digital repression.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1306" height="978" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DCQ-Feb-Apr-2026_2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-75073" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DCQ-Feb-Apr-2026_2.jpg 1306w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DCQ-Feb-Apr-2026_2-700x524.jpg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DCQ-Feb-Apr-2026_2-768x575.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px" /> EngageMedia is publishing English translations of the Myanmar Digital Coup Quarterly produced by the Myanmar Internet Project. This post covers updates from February 2026 to April 2026 and highlights digital oppression incidents documented during that period. Read the original post in Burmese here, and learn more about EngageMedia’s broader work to support digital rights in Myanmar on EngageMedia.org/Myanmar. Read the other editions of the report. Digital oppression issues from February 2026 – April 2026 The period from February to April 2026 marks the first three months following the fifth anniversary of the coup. It is also the period when the sham parliament, resulting from the coup military junta’s fake election, began its sessions. The junta continues to enact new laws to justify further online surveillance, internet shutdowns and other forms of digital repression. Some clauses within these newly enacted laws were designed to allow for greater access to the public’s digital footprint. This report documents incidents of digital repression between February and April 2026. Summary of Digital Repression Incidents in February 2026 Mobile Phone and Internet Shutdowns Arrests and Legal Actions Related to Online Expression The Military Council’s Surveillance Measures on the General Public Mobile Phone and Internet Shutdowns In February 2026, in addition to the junta’s communication blackouts, there were also telecommunication restrictions by revolutionary forces. (a) Communication Blackouts by the Military Junta The military junta carried out phone line and internet blackouts to guard the flow of information during military operations and to protect the whereabouts of their leaders. Phone lines were cut during a military operation in the eastern part of Wetlet Town, Sagaing Region, which displaced nearly 10,000 villagers. When a military leader visited Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Region, for the opening of the Yadanabon Cyber City project and a shopping centre, phone and internet lines were cut under the pretext of security. After clashes broke out in villages north of Ywangan Town, Shan State, the junta imposed a digital curfew after 8 PM, among other restrictions. (b) Communication Control by Revolutionary Forces Revolutionary forces and ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) also implemented communication restrictions for military purposes, as well as some communication blackouts. The Arakan Army (AA) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/westernnewsagency/photos/-%E1%80%95%E1%80%AF%E1%80%82%E1%80%B9%E1%80%82%E1%80%9C%E1%80%AD%E1%80%80-%E1%80%85%E1%80%90%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9C%E1%80%84%E1%80%B7%E1%80%BA%E1%80%85%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%BB%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8%E1%80%80%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF-%E1%80%9E%E1%80%AD%E1%80%99%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AE%E1%80%B8%E1%80%94%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA-%E1%80%84%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9B%E1%80%99%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%94%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%81%E1%80%BC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%8C%E1%80%AC%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%81%E1%80%BB%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA-aa-%E1%80%94%E1%80%8A%E1%80%BA/1386574360148653/">announced that they would accept applications for leasing Starlink devices and would return confiscated privately-owned Starlink devices. In the Daai region of Kanpetlet Township, Chin State, the Chin Defense Force (Daai) reportedly cut off the public use of Starlink internet lines and forcibly conducted conscription, according to the Irrawaddy news agency. A group under KNLA Battalion 12 also destroyed a phone tower in Min Dat Village, Tanintharyi Region. Communication blackouts delay public access to information in conflict zones and can hinder job or educational opportunities. In the Rakhine region, young people lost opportunities to apply for a nursing course opened by the AA due to a lack of local ID cards and difficulties with phone lines. Arrests and Legal Actions Related to Online Expression The junta continued to arrest and sentence citizens for expressing their opinions on social media platforms. Even junta loyalists faced severe penalties, including prison sentences, if their statements contained terms displeasing to the junta. Zaw Bone Hein, a junta loyalist who was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/khitthitnews/posts/%E1%80%85%E1%80%85%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9C%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%BA%E1%80%98%E1%80%AE-%E1%80%87%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%BA%E1%80%98%E1%80%AF%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9F%E1%80%AD%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%80%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF-%E1%80%A1%E1%80%AE%E1%80%9C%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%91%E1%80%9B%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%86%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9E%E1%80%BD%E1%80%9A%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8%E1%80%A5%E1%80%95%E1%80%92%E1%80%B1-%E1%80%95%E1%80%AF%E1%80%92%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99-%E1%81%86%E1%81%86-%E1%80%83-%E1%80%96%E1%80%BC%E1%80%84%E1%80%B7%E1%80%BA-%E1%80%91%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%92%E1%80%8F%E1%80%BA-%E1%81%82-/1272176528343284/">arrested for online statements, received an additional two-year prison sentence from a military court under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. Two men from Mandalay Region and Bago Region were also arrested this month for their statements and posts on social media. The Military Council’s Surveillance Measures on the General Public The junta’s surveillance process targeting the public continues to be strictly enforced, utilising both digital technology and legal amendments. The junta has further amended the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of the Citizen. It has been found that this amendment was not aimed at protecting citizens’ liberty and security, but rather at facilitating the surveillance of digital usage. The People’s Spring news agency reports that those who have had their bank accounts closed are being systematically checked using the Person Scrutinization and Monitoring System (PSMS), leading to ongoing arrests. Additionally, the Central Bank, which operates under the junta’s State Administration Council, is pressuring businesses to reduce cash usage and adopt digital payment systems. As the use of cash decreases and the adoption of digital currency becomes more widespread, it will become easier to monitor financial flows. Summary of Digital Repression Incidents in March 2026 Mobile Phone and Internet Shutdowns Arrests and Legal Actions Related to Online Expression The Military Council’s Surveillance Measures on the General Public Press Freedom Under Threat Mobile Phone and Internet Shutdowns During March 2026, in addition to the junta’s communication blackouts, revolutionary organisations also placed restrictions on telecommunications. Furthermore, in areas experiencing communication blackouts, airstrikes causing mass casualties were recorded, as well as situations where humanitarian aid could not reach those in need due to communication disruptions. (a) The junta’s Communication Blackouts and Military Attacks In areas where communication lines were cut, the junta was conducting intense military operations and airstrikes. In Katha, where fighting between revolutionary forces and junta troops was severe, only one MEC phone line was usable, while other telecommunication lines were down. During this communication blackout, a monastery sheltering displaced civilians was bombed on March 21, killing over 60 civilians. The junta also launched an airstrike on a quarry in the Mawchi area of Hpasawng Township, Karenni (Kayah) State, cutting phone and internet connections. In Ayeyarwady Region, townships such as Yegyi, Lemyethna, Chaungtha, Thabaung, and Kyangin were also frequently experiencing internet and phone line disruptions due to fighting. Mytel phone lines have gone down in Shan State, Momeik, which is also experiencing fuel shortages. In Thayetchaung Township, Tanintharyi Region, nearly 10,000 displaced people are struggling to receive aid due to roadblocks and phone line blackouts. Cut off from phone lines and internet connectivity, civilians in conflict zones are unable to receive early warnings or avoid life-threatening situations such as airstrikes, and have difficulties accessing humanitarian assistance. (b) Communication Control by Revolutionary Forces Revolutionary forces also imposed communication restrictions in areas under their control. In areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), privately owned Starlink devices are subject to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/westernnewsagency/posts/-%E1%80%9B%E1%80%81%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AC-%E1%80%95%E1%80%AF%E1%80%82%E1%80%B9%E1%80%82%E1%80%9C%E1%80%AD%E1%80%80-%E1%80%85%E1%80%90%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9C%E1%80%84%E1%80%B7%E1%80%BA%E1%80%85%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%BB%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8-%E1%80%A1%E1%80%81%E1%80%BD%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%86%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%BE%E1%80%9E%E1%80%AC-%E1%80%9E%E1%80%AF%E1%80%B6%E1%80%B8%E1%80%81%E1%80%BD%E1%80%84%E1%80%B7%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%99%E1%80%8A%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9F%E1%80%AF-aa-%E1%80%90%E1%80%AC%E1%80%9D%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AD/1409132957892793/">restrictions requiring owners to pay taxes to the AA. On the other hand, the AA has also been providing Starlink services in areas under its control on a rotating basis. According to DVB news, the cost for using these internet services is approximately 10,000 kyats ($USD 2.35) per hour. In villages in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State, the AA has restricted each village to using only one MEC phone line (one phone per village). Nearly the entire Rakhine State was experiencing phone and internet blackouts, with only some MEC SIM card lines working in certain locations. In Thayetchaung Township, Tanintharyi Region, the KNU has strictly prohibited locals from using phones, citing security reasons. Meanwhile, in urban areas of Bawlakhe Town in Karenni (Kayah) State, the use of MPT and CDMA phone lines has reportedly been permitted again. Arrests and Legal Actions Related to Online Expression The junta continues to carry out surveillance and arrests regarding the public’s online access. According to a report by the CJ Platform published on March 27, during the pre-election and election period of the sham election, from September 2025 to January 2026, six military propaganda Telegram channels posted 67 messages <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cjplatformburma/posts/%E1%80%9C%E1%80%B0%E1%80%99%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AF%E1%80%80%E1%80%BD%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9A%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%A1%E1%80%9E%E1%80%AF%E1%80%B6%E1%80%B8%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AF%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AE%E1%80%B8-%E1%80%A1%E1%80%90%E1%80%AF%E1%80%9A%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%BD%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8%E1%80%80%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%95%E1%80%BD%E1%80%B2%E1%80%80%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF-%E1%80%95%E1%80%AF%E1%80%B6%E1%80%96%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%BA%E1%80%81%E1%80%BC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%81%82%E1%81%80%E1%81%82%E1%81%85-%E1%80%A1%E1%80%90%E1%80%AF%E1%80%9A%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA-%E1%80%9B%E1%80%BD%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8%E1%80%80/939041315554905/">inciting threats and arrests. This is clear evidence of public surveillance through pro-junta online accounts. U Kyi, a food vendor who was arrested in January for criticising junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, was sentenced by the Insein Prison Court to three years of hard labour. Furthermore, three men from Magway Region, Bago Region, and Shan State were arrested this month for statements and posts made on social media. The Military Council’s Surveillance Measures on the General Public In March 2026, the State Administration Council (the junta) was observed implementing IMEI registration systems and introducing provisions into the Anti-Money Laundering Law that allow for the interception of communication systems, to increase control over public communications. (a) Surveillance and Tracking Using Technology The junta announced that starting from April 1, 2026, it would block mobile phones that had not paid taxes by disabling their IMEI numbers. Furthermore, AAJM news agency reported that arrests were being made by tracking the IMEI numbers. It was also observed that on March 25, an announcement was made allowing non-standard phones (clone handsets) to continue being used for only three more years. On March 28, the CJ Platform revealed records of the junta requesting operators to provide the locations, call logs, and user profiles of SIM card users, along with the phone numbers involved. Additionally, instructions have been issued to revise the watchlists for the PSMS system, and in Sittwe, Rakhine State, solar-powered CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the public. Under the newly enacted Myanmar Passport Law this month, passport applicants are now required to submit their UID numbers. Since UID numbers are linked to the holder’s biometric data, integrating the passport system with UID will make it easy to track where a passport holder is located in any country. It is believed that under this legal provision, passports will soon be converted to an e-passport system. The advantage of the e-passport system is not only that those conducting surveillance can easily know which countries a person has travelled through, but also that e-passports are easier to cancel than the current old-system passports. (b) Efforts to Further Legitimize Interception Under the Law It has been observed that in the newly enacted Anti-Money Laundering Law, Chapter 5, under Section 12 concerning the duties and powers of the Ministry of Home Affairs, provisions have been included to permit access to networks as well as intercepting or cutting communication lines. These provisions grant the Ministry of Home Affairs extensive powers. In other words, these provisions are intended to enable joint surveillance of financial transactions and communications. Press Freedom Under Threat During March 2026, there were preparations for new junta propaganda mechanisms, evidence of control over press freedom, and the detention of journalists by some revolutionary forces. The junta has been organising an “Information Sheet” publication team that will publish in four languages – Burmese, English, Russian, and Chinese – to respond in real-time to news perceived as critical of the junta. According to a report by the Independent Press Council of Myanmar (IPCM) and Human Rights in Myanmar, during the sham election period, the junta blocked access to 93% of independent media websites. In Hpakan, Kachin State, there was also an incident where Ko Tar Lin Maung, editor of Uru Daily News, was arrested and taken away by the KIA/KPDF group for one day. This incident highlights the security concerns faced by journalists operating in conflict zones. Summary of Digital Repression Incidents in April 2026 Mobile Phone and Internet Shutdowns Arrests and Legal Actions Related to Online Expression The Military Council’s Surveillance Measures on the General Public Press Freedom Under Threat Mobile Phone and Internet Shutdowns In April 2026, communication blackouts had socioeconomic impacts in vulnerable communities, and there were reports of restrictions on the use of Starlink internet. Military operations and targeted internet blackouts During airstrikes conducted by the junta in Bilin Township, Mon State, phone towers were deliberately targeted and communication lines cut. During military operations in villages northeast of Myingyan, Mandalay Region, phone and internet lines were also cut. Such communication blackouts, intended to obstruct the flow of information during military conflicts, undermine the ability of local populations to take early preventative measures against dangers and increase the risk of life-threatening situations. (a) Other Observed Communication Blackouts In Thein Kone Village, Ywangan Township, southern Shan State, along with irregular electricity supply, Mytel and MPT phone lines have experienced further disruptions. In Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, following the Thingyan period, increased electricity blackouts have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KhamSarNgor/posts/%E1%80%9E%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B9%E1%80%80%E1%80%BC%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AE%E1%80%B8-%E1%80%90%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%80%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AE%E1%80%B8%E1%80%90%E1%80%BD%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA-%E1%80%A1%E1%80%81%E1%80%BB%E1%80%AD%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%80%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AC%E1%80%99%E1%80%AE%E1%80%B8%E1%80%95%E1%80%BB%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AF%E1%80%99%E1%80%BB%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8%E1%80%86%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%90%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%96%E1%80%BC%E1%80%85%E1%80%BA%E1%80%95%E1%80%BD%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8-%E1%80%96%E1%80%AF%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9C%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%A1%E1%80%84/1398578805638629/">impeded phone and internet use. In Nyaung Shwe Township, southern Shan State, damage to backup power systems (solar and batteries) installed on a communication tower in the Pindaya region’s Naung Bo village has caused severe communication delays in that area. In Pindaya Town itself, ATOM phone lines have been <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KhamSarNgor/posts/%E1%80%95%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%90%E1%80%9A%E1%80%90%E1%80%BD%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA-atom-%E1%80%9C%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%90%E1%80%BA%E1%80%90%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AF-%E1%80%90%E1%80%85%E1%80%BA%E1%80%95%E1%80%90%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AD%E1%80%9C%E1%80%AC%E1%80%9E%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9C%E1%80%8A%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8-%E1%80%9A%E1%80%94%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B7%E1%80%91%E1%80%AD-%E1%80%9C%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%95%E1%80%BC%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%9B%E1%80%9E%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8%E1%80%81%E1%80%99%E1%80%BA/1383310920498751/">disrupted for extended periods, forcing ATOM users to switch to other operators. The inability to provide adequate electricity – a basic necessity – has led to subsequent disruptions in communication, another essential need. (b) Impact of Communication Blackouts The obstruction of information during blackouts has had devastating consequences. In Sin Htoe Gyi village, Palaw Township, Tanintharyi Region, news of a fire could not be sent in time due to phone line disruptions, resulting in the loss of many homes. In the lower part of Thayetchaung Township, Tanintharyi Region, roadblocks and communication blackouts led to food shortages. In the Rakhine region, the Arakan Study Center (CAS) stated that emergency relief efforts were delayed due to internet difficulties. Arrests and Legal Actions Related to Online Expression In April 2026, the junta continued to surveil and repress online expression. A pro-junta individual named Ngar Min Swe was arrested at his home in Hpa Ka Leik village, Kyaikto Township, Mon State, by police forces under the junta. A vendor named Mari Mari was arrested at the Thaketa Police Station in Yangon for selling books on TikTok, including “The Generals Lied to Me,” written by author U Tin Nyunt, before the coup. Author U Tin Nyunt, a recipient of the National Literature Award, has been charged under Section 505(a) for damaging state harmony for publishing content critical of the military, and his son (the publisher) has also been arrested. From the above incidents, it can be observed that the junta continues to monitor social media and arrest those who criticise them. In other words, the junta – which seeks to transform itself into a nominal democratic government through a sham election – continues to suppress freedom of expression, a fundamental right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19(a) of the ICCPR. The Military Council’s Surveillance Measures on the General Public In April 2026, the junta increased its efforts to tighten passenger screening at airports and to monitor the personal data and movements of citizens through the use of digital technology. (a) Increased Scrutiny of Travel The junta issued an announcement requiring domestic and international passengers to present their national ID documents at airports. Subsequently, the use of the PSMS (Personnel Security Monitoring System) to check passenger data at airports has been intensified compared to previous periods. (b) Surveillance and Tracking Using Technology According to news reports, the junta used the PSMS system to screen individuals planning to meet with President U Win Myint, who was released under an amnesty from the coup junta’s detention. Furthermore, this month marks the implementation of a junta initiative that links the IMEI numbers of mobile phones with SIM card registrations, enabling the surveillance and tracking of mobile phone users. Press Freedom Under Threat In April 2026, press freedom continued to be suppressed, with licenses of several news outlets being revoked. Resistance movements have also campaigned for the release of arrested journalists. The junta revoked the media licenses of three domestic news agencies: Chin World, Nowsadays-news, and Khonuthung Media. This is clear evidence of efforts to restrict the free flow of information. According to the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on April 30, 2026, Myanmar ranks 166th out of 180 countries for press freedom. Such censorship limits the right of everyone to freely receive and share information, as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 25(a) of the ICCPR states: “Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives.” Restrictions on information reduce the public’s ability to participate in and make decisions regarding civilian affairs. In other words, this indirectly violates Article 25(a) of the ICCPR. While media suppression persists, there are also movements advocating for the release of detained journalists. Protests were held in front of the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, demanding the release of detained journalist Ko Sai Zaw Thike. The Independent Myanmar Journalists Association (IMJA) also issued a statement calling for the unconditional release of all detained journalists. Recommended Citation Style – Myanmar Internet Project (2026, May 23), Myanmar Digital Coup Quarterly: February 2026 – April 2026 Myanmar, https://www.myanmarinternet.info/post/quarterly_feb_apr_2026
Songs for Harmony Celebrates the Launch of “A Tu Tu” Mini-Album
The Songs for Harmony team, formed under the Digital Spaces for Dialogue project, co-created the songs in the mini album which explores themes of kindness and social harmony through music and storytelling.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1200" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/signal-2569-05-26-213051.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-75023" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/signal-2569-05-26-213051.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/signal-2569-05-26-213051-700x525.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/signal-2569-05-26-213051-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/signal-2569-05-26-213051-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> Let’s sing together, Open your heart, Gently Breathe to fill your heart အတူတူ ဆိုမယ် နှလုံးသားလေးဖွင့်ထားပါ ညင်ညင်သာသာ အသက်လေးဝဝရှူ Catch “Poem of Happiness – ပျော်ရွှင်ခြင်းကဗျာ” and two other songs in Song for Harmony’s mini-album called “A Tu Tu”, which was publicly launched at Alliance Française de Chiang Mai on May 23, 2026. More than 40 educators, artists, youth, and organisations working with children and music celebrated the launch of the children’s songs and podcast series, which explores themes of kindness, diversity, emotional well-being, and social harmony through music and storytelling. Listen to the songs here “I am very happy to let my child contribute his talent to this project. For me, this project is really helpful for children to learn social harmony. I hope the team creates more songs that use the languages and cultures of Myanmar,” said Ma April, mother of a child-singer. Medical doctor Dr. Phway Nu Moe, who is also a mental health practitioner and a singer-songwriter, shared, “The project is really suitable for children in the Myanmar community. I hope the team creates more songs later that encourage the awareness of nature and life skills that help children survive in a modern society increasingly exposed to artificial intelligence.” “My mom told me that of all the things I have done, this is the most meaningful. So, I am happy to participate in this project because it adds a lot of meaning to my life and changes my view that my work as a musician is something that is not meaningful,” added Pain Soe, musician and Songs for Harmony team member. The Songs for Harmony team was formed with the support of EngageMedia under the Digital Spaces for Dialogue (DS4D) project. The team co-created each of the three songs in the mini-album with Burmese parents, children, educators, and musicians in response to the need for more children’s music rooted within Myanmar’s culture, language, and peoples. Recognising the power of music in shaping identity, values, and belonging, especially among children and youth, the team hopes that the music will serve as a platform to foster understanding, unity, and respect across diverse ethnic and cultural communities inside and outside of Myanmar. EngageMedia and the Digital Spaces for Dialogue (DS4D) Project congratulates the Songs for Harmony team on the success of A Tu Tu! Implemented by DW Akademie together with The Red Flag, EngageMedia, and Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), DS4D is a three-year initiative (2024–2027) supporting at least 130 young people from Myanmar and Bangladesh in creating online spaces for cross-border dialogue through 13 youth-led digital projects centered around culture, identity, and shared lived experiences. The project is made possible through the funding support of the European Union and the Federal German Government.
Meet the people behind the ‘bayanihan’ spirit: DRAPAC26 co-hosts
Drawing inspiration from the Filipino spirit of bayanihan, DRAPAC26 is co-owned and co-led by a coalition of organisations with years of experience advancing digital rights across the Philippines and the wider region. Get to know the organisations behind DRAPAC26.
The 2026 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC26) is rooted in the Filipino spirit of bayanihan, the community practice of neighbours working together in times of disaster or relocation to carry their houses to safer ground. Drawing inspiration from bayanihan, DRAPAC26 is co-owned and co-led by a coalition of organisations with years of experience advancing digital rights across the Philippines and the wider region. Before the three-day convening this June 8 to 10 in Manila, Philippines, we invite you to get to know the organisations behind DRAPAC26, and the sessions they will be hosting. Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) FMA assists civil society organisations (CSOs) and other development stakeholders in promoting and defending the right to information and communication by advocating for openness in the governance of information societies, working for human rights in digital environments, and ensuring strategic access and responsible use of ICTs while optimising such technologies for sustainable development, and addressing gender concerns in the information society. At DRAPAC 2026, FMA will host the session From Patchwork to Framework: Bridging ASEAN’s Data Protection Divide —The Role of Civil Society, which will explore how civil society can help ASEAN move from fragmentation toward meaningful, people-centered data protection—not only through policy influence, but through the co-creation of practical tools that enable real-world compliance and rights protection. DAKILA – a Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism An organisation building a movement of modern heroism by innovating platforms for human rights advocacy, social change campaigning, and creative activism. Founded in 2005 by a group of artists and activists, DAKILA uses the power of art, culture, and community to creatively spark social consciousness formation towards social transformation rooted in human rights and democracy. At DRAPAC26, DAKILA is organising Exploring the Narrative Frontiers in Co-creating Movement Infrastructure and Common Resources, exploring how narratives shape the intersection of technology, human rights, and democracy, and how movements can co-create shared narrative infrastructure and common resources to shape a rights-respecting digital ecosystem. This session paves the way for narrative labs centering actions and interventions around democratising democracy narratives, shifting pop culture through storytelling, and reclaiming public discourse through homeless media. EngageMedia EngageMedia is proudly bringing Open Tech Jam: Privacy-respecting, secure, and open digital technology for human rights defenders, to DRAPAC26. The session is designed to move away from theoretical discourse and focus on applied technology. We will explore how privacy-respecting, secure, and open technology is adapted to meet the specific social, political, and infrastructural challenges faced by HRDs in the region. We will also organise a Digital Security Peer Lab – a no-fuss, collaborative sandbox where anyone with a concrete idea, whether a finished product, a prototype, a research project, or a community‑run programme, gets a rapid, honest review and a chance to lock in real resources for the Myanmar context In line with our work on rights-based governance of emerging technologies and digital consumers in Southeast Asia, we are leading a side event on Shaping ASEAN’s Digital Future: Rights, Trade, and Regional Cooperation in the Cross-Border Data Era. This closed-door event will feature a multistakeholder discussion that will promote constructive dialogue on ethical considerations, regulatory measures, and best practices in other digital trade agreements. Held alongside DRAPAC26, we will be hosting Cinemata Community Convening 2026 – bringing together the Cinemata community to share work, reflect on practice, and collectively shape how social issue storytelling, technology, and collaboration can expand civic space and support filmmakers across the region. The convening also opens a space to explore collaborative approaches to community governance, including how shared stewardship and community participation can shape sustainability, curation, and technology development. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="576" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-7-1920x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-74978" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-7-1920x576.png 1920w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-7-700x210.png 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-7-768x230.png 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-7-1536x461.png 1536w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-7.png 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> Join us for DRAPAC26 These session highlights represent just a taste of the 60+ activities planned across the three days. Log in to your DRAPAC26 account to explore the complete programme here. To attend the event, get your ticket at https://drap.ac/26/attendees/ before June 7th, 2026. Tickets are free for all grassroots human rights defenders. We’re thrilled to welcome you all to Manila.
After much anticipation and deliberation, the 2026 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC26) programme is now live on our official website. DRAPAC26 takes place in Manila on June 8 to 10, 2026, co-hosted by the Foundation for Media Alternatives, DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, and EngageMedia. From over 450 activity proposals, the three-day event […]
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="618" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-74750" style="aspect-ratio:1.7799448258163855;width:810px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-4.png 1100w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-4-700x393.png 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DRAPAC26-pre-branding-announcement-4-768x431.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /> After much anticipation and deliberation, the 2026 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC26) programme is now live on our official website. Browse the full programme DRAPAC26 takes place in Manila on June 8 to 10, 2026, co-hosted by the Foundation for Media Alternatives, DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, and EngageMedia. From over 450 activity proposals, the three-day event will comprise a combination of about 60 sessions, exhibits, and more activities that reflect this year’s theme of “Resilient Digital Futures: Co-creating Collective Resources Across Movements”. DRAPAC26 also channels the spirit of bayanihan – traditionally depicted with farmers together carrying houses to safer ground – to navigate shifting dynamics, by co-creating, co-developing, and co-owning the common resources and infrastructure the digital rights movement needs to thrive. The DRAPAC26 programme includes (but is not limited to) sessions on surveillance and spyware accountability, AI governance, platform power, disinformation, internet shutdowns, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The agenda also goes deeper into building and expanding the infrastructure needed for human rights defenders to sustain our work: funding resilience, collective archiving, digital security peer learning, and feminist approaches to technology design. Register now and join us in advancing digital rights in the Asia-Pacific: https://drap.ac/26/attendees/
Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact: How The Black Kite Amplifies Resilience Beyond Screens in Bangladesh
On a July morning in 2024, Bangladesh’s internet went dark. This was no minor inconvenience. For freelancers, digital entrepreneurs, students, and families, the shutdown severed access to income, safety, and community. It underscored a deeper reality: internet shutdowns in Bangladesh are not technical disruptions, but assaults on rights and livelihoods, disproportionately impacting working-class communities and gig workers.
On a July morning in 2024, Bangladesh’s internet went dark. This was no minor inconvenience. For freelancers, digital entrepreneurs, students, and families, the shutdown severed access to income, safety, and community. It underscored a deeper reality: internet shutdowns in Bangladesh are not technical disruptions, but assaults on rights and livelihoods, disproportionately impacting working-class communities and gig workers. This is the world that filmmaker Taosin Md Bahadurshah Zafar captures in his short film The Black Kite, a story grounded in the lived realities of Bangladesh’s 2024 internet shutdowns. Through the lens of a disabled freelancer struggling to maintain his work and dignity amid digital silence, the film makes visible the cascading harms of internet blackouts; harms that are too often normalised or ignored. As part of EngageMedia’s Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact programme, The Black Kite has already moved beyond the screen, catalysing conversations, workshops, and practical tools that empower communities to resist digital repression and assert their rights to connectivity and economic survival. Using the specially designed Impact Campaign Builder, filmmakers identify what audiences take away from their films, set concrete advocacy goals, connect with partners, and plan activities that translate cinematic insights into tangible change. For Taosin, this extension meant bringing The Black Kite into real-world spaces where stories like the movie characters’ are lived every day. The Black Kite and Lived Realities On 13 December 2025, Taosin facilitated a Digital Rights and Internet Safety Workshop in Khulna, bringing together 35 participants—freelancers, online entrepreneurs, and workers embedded in Bangladesh’s digital economy. Organised in collaboration with Sonamukh Smart Academy and the Caregivers Institute of Bangladesh, the session opened with a screening of The Black Kite, setting a shared cinematic reference point for conversations that quickly moved beyond the screen. Reaching the workshop participants was a deliberate act of bridge-building that required navigating both institutional politics and volatile civic conditions. Rather than defaulting to familiar advocacy networks, Taosin deliberately sought partnerships with vocational training institutions. The event collaborators serve populations directly dependent on digital connectivity for their livelihoods: freelancers managing international clients, caregivers coordinating placements through online platforms, and small business owners running digital storefronts. Organizing the event in mid-December 2025 meant navigating a city on the edge with Bangladesh preparing for its first post-uprising elections scheduled for February 2026. Amid election-related clashes, political violence, and heightened security deployments, Taosin’s decision to proceed demonstrated a commitment to bringing digital rights conversations directly to those most affected, even when conditions made such gatherings risky. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1052" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-6.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74620" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-6.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-6-700x460.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-6-768x505.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-6-1536x1010.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="888" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-7.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74621" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-7.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-7-700x389.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-7-768x426.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-7-1536x852.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1198" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-8.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74634" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-8.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-8-700x524.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-8-768x575.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-8-1536x1150.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> What followed, Taosin reflected, were stories that were “ordinary yet devastating.” One participant, Rony (28), described losing long-term foreign clients on Fiverr overnight simply because he was unable to respond during an internet shutdown. Another participant, Sayma (24), shared how mobile banking failures left her family unable to pay for basic necessities. A small business owner recounted watching confirmed Facebook orders disappear as customers assumed the business had shut down entirely. These were not abstract complaints about connectivity or inconvenience; they were accounts of dignity, trust, and livelihoods slipping away in real time. Listening to these experiences, Taosin noted, fundamentally reshaped how he understands both filmmaking and digital rights advocacy. The exchanges grounded his work in lived realities rather than theory, revealing how shutdowns do far more than interrupt communication. They fracture daily routines, strain relationships, and destabilise the survival strategies people depend on to get through each day. This perspective has directly influenced how The Black Kite frames its narrative, focusing not only on repression but on the ripple effects that spread quietly across everyday life. Beyond Story: Tools for Resilience The workshop unfolded in three parts: (1) a screening and reflection, (2) digital safety training, and (3) hands-on tool sharing. Participants were introduced to secure communication tools and offline strategies for moments when the internet becomes inaccessible or unsafe. Platforms such as Briar, Bridgefy, Signal, and TunnelBear were discussed alongside community-based approaches to staying connected beyond digital infrastructure. Drawing on resources adapted from organisations including Access Now and WITNESS, the session emphasised that resilience during shutdowns depends on both technological preparedness and social networks. An interactive quiz helped consolidate key learnings, followed by the handover of a digital safety toolkit to partner institutions and participants, ensuring that the knowledge shared could continue to circulate long after the workshop ended. Towards a Connected Horizon Looking ahead, Taosin sees The Black Kite extending its impact beyond Bangladesh, contributing to a wider global conversation on internet freedom and state-imposed blackouts. Internet shutdowns are no longer isolated incidents; they have become a recurring tactic of political control across different contexts, most recently in Iran (2026). By situating The Black Kite within these transnational patterns of digital repression, the film invites audiences to see shutdowns not as technical failures, but as deliberate acts with human consequences. When paired with workshops, toolkits, and comparative case studies from places such as Nepal and Iran, the film helps deepen understanding of how shutdowns undermine economic stability, isolate communities, and restrict fundamental freedoms. This global framing allows The Black Kite to function across multiple spaces: (1) as an educational resource for analysing internet access as a human rights issue; (2) as an advocacy tool that connects struggles across borders; and (3) as a creative catalyst, encouraging storytellers in other regions to document their own experiences of digital repression. Rather than remaining a record of a single moment, the film becomes part of a growing archive of resistance and resilience, demonstrating how digital blackouts, whether in Dhaka or elsewhere, disrupt everyday life, livelihoods, and the basic ability to speak and stay connected with the world. This global lens not only enhances the film’s relevance but also reinforces the urgency of pushing for universal internet access as a shared human right. References: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/bangladeshs-internet-shutdown-isolates-citizens-disrupts-business-2024-07-26 https://engagemedia.org/projects/tech-tales-youth/bangladesh-malaysia/the-black-kite/ https://engagemedia.org/2025/tech-tales-youth-extended-impact/ https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Impact-Campaign-Builder-1.1SSN_01272022-1.pdf https://cib.edu.bd/ https://cib.edu.bd/ https://briarproject.org https://bridgefy.me https://signal.org https://www.tunnelbear.com https://www.accessnow.org https://www.witness.org https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/2/irans-economy-falters-as-internet-shutdown-hits-people-businesses-hard IMPACT VISION <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-black-kite.png" alt="" class="wp-image-74493" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-black-kite.png 1920w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-black-kite-700x394.png 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-black-kite-768x432.png 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-black-kite-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />
Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact: How Hai Anis Translates Digital Risk into Youth Empowerment in Malaysia
In an increasingly connected digital landscape, the internet offers young people connection and opportunity, while concealing serious risks. Teenagers navigating online spaces are often exposed to exploitation, harassment, and grooming that unfold quietly and out of sight.
In an increasingly connected digital landscape, the internet offers young people connection and opportunity, while concealing serious risks. Teenagers navigating online spaces are often exposed to exploitation, harassment, and grooming that unfold quietly and out of sight. These realities are at the heart of filmmaker Azura Nasron’s short film Hai Anis, which follows Anis, a young teenager drawn into the manipulative strategies of online predators. By revealing how harm is often masked as care, trust, or understanding, the film foregrounds the real-world consequences of digital manipulation and underscores the urgent need for greater awareness, practical skills, and youth agency in online spaces. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="810" height="1080" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-4.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74591" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-4.jpeg 810w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-4-525x700.jpeg 525w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-4-768x1024.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px" /> As part of EngageMedia’s Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact programme, Hai Anis has moved beyond the screen to become a practical tool for digital rights education, sparking discussions, workshops, and the development of a modular Transmedia Education Toolkit. Through the Tech Tales Youth Impact Campaign Builder, Azura translated the film’s narrative into an impact strategy that pairs storytelling with concrete learning outcomes and pathways for advocacy. Screenings as Spaces for Dialogue and Care On 5 December 2025, Hai Anis was screened at Pesta Right-Yat, followed by a moderated discussion led by filmmaker Azura Nasron with Farahin Wahid, from Jurnal Sang Pemula. The screening became an entry point into conversations on online safety, consent, and digital boundaries, issues that shape young people’s everyday digital lives. As part of its Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact, Hai Anis was intentionally presented across public screenings, educational settings, and online sessions, each generating distinct forms of engagement. Azura observed that audiences responded differently depending on context and platform, shaping how conversations unfolded. For instance, the public screenings encouraged emotional reflection and peer storytelling, helping to surface shared experiences and reduce stigma. In schools and workshops, discussions became more analytical, with young audiences examining how exploitation operates, how platforms enable harm, and where systems fail to protect users. Online sessions, meanwhile, offered safer, low-barrier spaces for participation, leading to more disclosures and underscoring the importance of trauma-informed, survivor-centred facilitation. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="810" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-5.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74598" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-5.jpeg 1080w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-5-700x525.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-5-768x576.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /> Reflecting on these experiences across different settings, Azura noted that each mode of engagement revealed distinct needs and possibilities. These varied responses directly shaped the modular design of the toolkit developed alongside the film, enabling facilitators to adapt its use for emotional reflection, practical skills-building, or deeper engagement with digital rights, policy, and accountability, depending on context and the communities involved. Beyond Story: The Transmedia Education Toolkit The Transmedia Education Toolkit extends Hai Anis beyond the screen, transforming the film into a flexible learning resource for schools, workshops, and community spaces. Designed to be modular and adaptable, it enables facilitators to tailor discussions toward emotional reflection, practical skills-building, or rights-based awareness, depending on context and audience needs. Rooted in real patterns Azura encountered in her work, the toolkit addresses a critical gap between empathy and action. While the film opens emotional space, the toolkit translates that impact into practice, giving young people the language and tools to name what is happening to them. Through scenario-based exercises, discussion prompts, and practical strategies, the toolkit unpacks complex issues such as consent, power, manipulation, and surveillance into relatable situations drawn from everyday digital life. Importantly, it avoids fear-based messaging. Instead of framing the internet as inherently dangerous, it focuses on building digital agency, helping young people recognise red flags, set boundaries, seek support, and look out for one another. In doing so, the toolkit shifts the conversation from “this is sad” to “this is happening—and here is what I can do,” equipping young people not only with awareness, but with confidence to navigate digital spaces and assert their rights. Audience feedback from early screenings further underscores the toolkit’s relevance and necessity. Many participants related deeply to Anis’ feelings of isolation, confusion, and pressure, with conversations often beginning through indirect personal reflections, such as “this happened to my friend” or “I’ve seen something similar online.” These moments frequently served as a first step toward breaking the silence that had previously remained unspoken. In more formal educational settings, discussions tended to shift from emotional identification to critical inquiry. Young people began asking “why” and “how”: why perpetrators use particular tactics and how manipulation escalates. In adult-to-adult screening contexts, particularly among educators and practitioners working with children and young people, the film was widely described as an effective and accessible starting point for conversations that are often difficult to initiate, both in classrooms and in personal or professional settings. Building Safer Digital Futures <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="810" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/hai-anis-talkback.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-74649" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/hai-anis-talkback.jpg 1080w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/hai-anis-talkback-700x525.jpg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/hai-anis-talkback-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /> Looking ahead, Azura envisions Hai Anis as more than a film. The toolkit is planned for integration into school co-curricular programmes, youth clubs, and community training, with a focus on reaching groups often excluded from digital literacy initiatives. Beyond education, Hai Anis hopes to be positioned as a catalyst for advocacy, partnering with civil society organisations and digital rights networks. By connecting personal stories to broader conversations about platform accountability, online safety policies, and freedom of expression, the film and toolkit create spaces for dialogue about how laws, corporate practices, and surveillance shape young people’s digital lives. Ultimately, the film aims to shift culture: helping young people see themselves not as passive victims of online harm, but as rights-holders and active participants in shaping safer digital spaces. For Azura, even if it empowers a small number to feel less alone and more confident in protecting themselves and their peers, it represents a meaningful step toward resilient, informed youth in the digital world. References: https://engagemedia.org/2025/society-secrets-and-silence-digital-literacy-in-a-deceptive-world/ https://engagemedia.org/projects/tech-tales-youth/bangladesh-malaysia/hai-anis/ https://engagemedia.org/2025/tech-tales-youth-extended-impact/ https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Impact-Campaign-Builder-1.1SSN_01272022-1.pdf https://www.therakyatpost.com/living/2025/12/02/december-kickoff-heres-where-you-should-be-this-weekend/ https://jurnalsangpemula.com/ IMPACT VISION <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-hai-anis.png" alt="" class="wp-image-74506" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-hai-anis.png 1920w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-hai-anis-700x394.png 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-hai-anis-768x432.png 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-hai-anis-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />
Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact: How On Our Own Time Works on Platform Labour and Digital Rights in the Philippines
Platform workers in the Philippines face exploitative and often invisible working conditions. Delivery platforms use algorithms to control work, reduce autonomy, and prioritise profit over basic rights. While gig work offers flexibility, it comes with unstable income, opaque systems, and limited legal protections, leaving workers vulnerable and excluded.
Platform workers in the Philippines face exploitative and often invisible working conditions. Delivery platforms use algorithms to control work, reduce autonomy, and prioritise profit over basic rights. While gig work offers flexibility, it comes with unstable income, opaque systems, and limited legal protections, leaving workers vulnerable and excluded. These realities are explored in On Our Own Time, directed by Kat Catalan. The film follows delivery riders in Metro Manila, revealing how algorithmic systems and labour conditions intersect to produce rights violations and everyday insecurity and laying the groundwork for practical advocacy. Produced in collaboration with Mayday Multimedia, the team Kat worked with to co-produce the film, implement the impact campaign, and develop advocacy materials that situate riders’ lived experiences within the broader gaps and limitations of existing labour legislation. As part of EngageMedia’s Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact programme, Kat translated the film into a practical advocacy tool through the Riders Watch Toolkit. Developed with the Tech Tales Youth Impact Campaign Builder, the Riders Watch Toolkit responds to questions raised by both young riders and veteran labour organisers during community screenings. It provides practical guidance on digital and labour rights and equips riders and organisers to navigate and challenge the evolving landscape of platform work. The Riders Watch Toolkit: Mapping the Realities of Platform Work <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1068" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-10.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74713" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-10.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-10-700x467.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-10-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-10-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> The Riders Watch Toolkit is built from the daily experiences of platform workers. Through consultations with riders, labour organisers, and digital rights advocates, it addresses critical knowledge gaps—such as missing labour protections, opaque algorithms, and how platforms consolidate control over work. These discussions revealed a striking reality: although the tools are digital, the power dynamics of control and precarity echo traditional labour exploitation. “Platform work may seem different from factory labour,” Kat Catalan notes, “but the core dynamics of control and precarity remain.” The toolkit makes these continuities visible, linking traditional labour organising with digital rights advocacy, and giving workers practical strategies to navigate a rapidly evolving platform economy. The toolkit combines clear explanations of digital and labour rights with real-life examples from riders’ experiences. It offers guided questions for interviewing riders, case studies of common digital and labour rights violations, and curated references on platform work. Freely available, it enables riders and organisers to identify exploitative practices, assess working conditions, and develop collective strategies, turning individual experiences into shared knowledge and action. Screenings as Spaces for Dialogue and Collective Strategy On Our Own Time has extended beyond the screen, creating spaces for learning, dialogue, and strategic action. Screenings, including PLATFORM RIDERS, UNITE! during Pistang Manggagawa in Quezon City, and the Critical Computing: Manila Gathering at the University of the Philippines, brought riders, labour organisers, scholars, and digital rights advocates together. Paired with roundtable discussions, the film became a catalyst for collective reflection and planning. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1200" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-3.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74561" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-3.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-3-700x525.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-3-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-3-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> This understanding deepened during a community workers’ fair, where riders spoke directly with progressive leaders, including Jerome Adonis of Kilusang Mayo Uno and former lawmaker France Castro. Riders highlighted the multiple insecurities they face daily: unstable income, changing platform policies, and limited legal protections. Riders also pointed to regulatory gaps that leave government bodies struggling to monitor platform companies and safeguard workers’ job security. At the Critical Computing: Manila Gathering, discussions with academics and information professionals highlighted the need to ground technical debates in workers’ lived experiences. Participants emphasised that designers and researchers of digital systems must understand everyday labour realities to ensure platforms uphold, rather than undermine, basic human and labour rights. For Kat Catalan, these screenings serve as organising moments where workers, digital rights advocates, and researchers come together, align demands for algorithmic transparency with labour rights, and transform shared stories into collective action. Some of the participants’ feedback had reinforced the film’s roles beyond sectoral silos. Many audiences who came not only connected with On Our Own Time, through shared issues, but also through shared struggle. Some of them shared that; “At the beginning, it seemed simple. But after this, we realised — this is the world we’re dealing with. One approach won’t be enough. Even in factories, where workers are physically clustered together, organising is already difficult — what more with riders? Riders are constantly changing. In that kind of setup, one organising strategy we thought of is through the community.” – Romy, labour organiser, Workers Motorcycle Riders Association (ANGLO-KMU) “I appreciated the video because it surfaced their concerns. Many of these are actually digital rights issues, but workers aren’t aware of that yet. The legal side of tech hasn’t fully caught up. There are many tech advocates willing to help legally. If we develop this kind of study instrument, we could gain many allies — both local and international.” – Xian, Digital Rights activist, Computer Professionals’ Union. Towards Collective Empowerment and Action <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1068" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/on-our-own-time-talkback.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-74575" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/on-our-own-time-talkback.jpg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/on-our-own-time-talkback-700x467.jpg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/on-our-own-time-talkback-768x513.jpg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/on-our-own-time-talkback-1536x1025.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> Looking ahead, Kat envisions On Our Own Time as more than a documentary; it serves as a bridge connecting platform workers, labour organisers, and digital rights advocates to broader public conversations. Through ongoing screenings, toolkit distribution, and participatory discussions, the project creates spaces where workers’ lived realities are recognised, debated, and translated into action. The Riders Watch Toolkit, together with community engagement initiatives, empowers platform workers to take an active role in advocacy and decision-making. By fostering collaborative learning, mentorship, and strategic organising, these initiatives shift audiences from passive observation to informed action. They strengthen workers’ ability to understand, assert, and defend their rights within digital labour systems.For Kat, sustained, community-led storytelling is vital. It transforms individual experiences into collective knowledge and connects labour and digital rights communities, opening new frameworks for organising in the platform economy. While significant work remains, especially in political education and sustained on-the-ground organising, On Our Own Time demonstrates that film can be a practical tool for empowerment, ensuring workers’ voices are heard, respected, and mobilised for systemic change. References: https://www.equaltimes.org/the-filipino-workers-at-the-sharp https://engagemedia.org/2024/tech-tales-youth-analysis-on-our-own-time/ https://www.instagram.com/maydaymultimedia/?hl=en https://engagemedia.org/projects/tech-tales-youth/on-our-own-time/ https://engagemedia.org/2025/tech-tales-youth-extended-impact/ http://tinyurl.com/riderswatchtoolkit2025 https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Impact-Campaign-Builder-1.1SSN_01272022-1.pdf https://www.rappler.com/people/p75592354-jerome-adonis https://www.rappler.com/people/p00263645-france-castro IMPACT VISION <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-on-our-own-time.png" alt="" class="wp-image-74519" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-on-our-own-time.png 1920w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-on-our-own-time-700x394.png 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-on-our-own-time-768x432.png 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-on-our-own-time-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />
Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact: How Echoes of Exile Builds Transgender Visibility and Cultural Change in Bangladesh
Transgender and hijra communities in Bangladesh navigate a world of invisibility and risk. Even after Bangladesh legally recognised a “third gender” in 2014, transgender and hijra communities continue to face entrenched stigma and discrimination, both online and offline.
Transgender and hijra communities in Bangladesh navigate a world of invisibility and risk. Even after Bangladesh legally recognised a “third gender” in 2014, transgender and hijra communities continue to face entrenched stigma and discrimination, both online and offline. Digital spaces often amplify these dangers: harassment, doxxing, non-consensual sharing of intimate content, and hate speech force many into social or physical exile, leaving their lives and stories invisible to society at large. In this context, storytelling becomes more than art; it is a form of advocacy, bearing witness to lives too often erased. It is against this backdrop that filmmaker Lamea Tanjin Tanha confronts these realities in her film Echoes of Exile. The film centres on the lived experiences of two hijra women from different generations, revealing the emotional, social, and structural consequences of marginalisation. As part of EngageMedia’s Tech Tales Youth Extended Impact programme, Lamea has translated Echoes of Exile into a catalyst for advocacy and cultural change. Using the Tech Tales Youth Impact Campaign Builder, she mapped how the film could move from storytelling to tangible impact by co-founding CHITRA Collective, turning Echoes of Exile into a sustained platform for advocacy. The collective aims to host more local and international LGBTQIA+ film screenings and dialogues, amplifying transgender and gender-diverse voices while fostering ongoing cultural and social change in Bangladesh. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1200" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74441" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1-700x525.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> CHITRA Collective: Storytelling as Resistance Through CHITRA Collective, Lamea addressed a critical gap in Bangladesh’s cultural landscape: the absence of sustained, safe, and politically conscious spaces for women, queer, trans, and underrepresented storytellers. According to Lamea, mainstream festivals often tokenise these voices or frame them as niche or “issue-based,” while intergenerational dialogue and critical engagement with digital rights, censorship, and structural marginalisation remain scarce. Thus, CHITRA emerged as a response to that silence: not just as a screening platform, but as a collective space rooted in care, critical conversation, and community accountability. Rather than letting Echoes of Exile exist as a standalone film, Echoes of Exile has become a catalyst for forums, discussions, and collaborative programming, inviting audiences, especially young people, to move from passive viewing to active dialogue, co-creating narratives and strategies with filmmakers, activists, and community members. Members joined CHITRA Collective because they were seeking a space that did not merely “include” them, but actively centred their voices, politics, and lived realities; a place where they are taken seriously rather than getting “tokenised”. As one member put it, “CHITRA feels less like a platform you submit to, and more like a space you build together.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1200" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-2.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74466" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-2.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-2-700x525.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-2-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> Screenings as Spaces to be Heard Echoes of Exile began as ethical witnessing, centring the lived realities of two hijra women across generations. The film foregrounded voice, agency, and emotional nuance, rejecting stereotypes and showing how digital and structural harms, online harassment, exposure, economic precarity, and social exclusion intersect in everyday life. The film was previously screened at the TFP Film Club Documentary Competition Workshop, a space committed to inclusion, courage, and empathy. Ahead of its launching ceremony, Chitra Film Collective also presented Fire (1996) by Deepa Mehta. The CHITRA Collective’s launch took place on 30 January this year. Through CHITRA Collective, the film has expanded into ongoing spaces where audiences from diverse backgrounds can confront bias, understand structural inequities, and engage deeply with marginalised narratives. What began as storytelling for empathy is now a platform for dialogue, where young and older audiences alike learn to confront bias, understand structural inequities, and practice attentive listening across difference. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1200" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74440" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-700x525.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> CHITRA doesn’t just amplify transgender and queer voices; it cultivates a culture of care and accountability, turning film into a tool for social awareness, civic engagement, and collective reflection. Here, stories are not only seen, but they are listened to, absorbed, and acted upon, building bridges between communities and reshaping the cultural space for underrepresented voices in Bangladesh. Building Collective Futures <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1600" height="1200" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-9.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74698" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-9.jpeg 1600w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-9-700x525.jpeg 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-9-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-9-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /> Looking ahead, Lamea envisions CHITRA Collective as more than a screening platform; it is a bridge connecting marginalised communities with broader society, positioning film as a civic tool for empathy, reflection, and action. In contexts where public discourse on gender, sexuality, and digital violence is limited, CHITRA offers mediated spaces where audiences can confront difficult truths through human stories. CHITRA also seeks to normalise women, queer, trans, and underrepresented filmmakers as central to national culture, not exceptions, by fostering mentorship, collaborative production, and intergenerational exchange. Film-based spaces cultivate empathy without voyeurism, and when paired with structured dialogue, transform passive emotion into reflective, accountable engagement. These micro-publics of care allow audiences to listen across difference, confront bias, and imagine collective futures. For Lamea, sustained, community-led storytelling is essential: it transforms individual narratives into lasting cultural change, shaping an ecosystem where marginalised voices are not only heard and valued, but mobilised into action. References: https://globalpressjournal.com/asia/bangladesh/no-longer-safe-extremism-upends-trans-lives-bangladesh/index.html https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/12/23/bangladesh-gender-recognition-process-spurs-abuse https://www.scribd.com/document/862935280/JMBF-State-of-LGBTQI-Rights-in-Bangladesh-2024 https://engagemedia.org/2025/ttybdmy-analysis-echoes-of-exile/ https://engagemedia.org/2025/tech-tales-youth-extended-impact/ https://www.instagram.com/chitra.collective IMPACT VISION <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-echoes-of-exile-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-74532" srcset="https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-echoes-of-exile-1.png 1920w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-echoes-of-exile-1-700x394.png 700w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-echoes-of-exile-1-768x432.png 768w, https://www.engagemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/impact-vision-echoes-of-exile-1-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" />