COMMENT A few short weeks ago, international human rights movement Amnesty International predicted that there would be increased attacks against the freedom of expression globally, including in Malaysia.

In its Amnesty International Report 2014/15 (AIR15), Amnesty International reported that this year, the world would see “deepening threats to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, including new violations caused by draconian anti-terror laws and intrusive mass surveillance”.

When the AIR15 was launched on Feb 26, Malaysia was in the midst of a crackdown on dissent, which in recent days has intensified to alarming levels: Influential student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim was detained for the third time since 2013, and Bersih 2.0 secretariat member Mandeep Singh joined the ranks of others who have fallen foul of repressive legislation...