The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is the only regional organization focused on promoting and protecting

press freedom Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerci ...

and

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. Established as a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

in November 1998, the alliance works to unite independent

journalists A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

and press-related organizations in the region into a force for free expression

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

and mutual protection. SEAPA's board of trustees is composed of representatives from the alliance's Founding Members, including: * Thai Journalists Association * Institute for Studies on Free Flow of Information (Indonesia) *

Alliance of Independent Journalists The Alliance of Independent Journalists ( id, Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, abbreviated as AJI) is an Indonesian organization that promotes press freedom in the country. The AJI was founded in 1994 by Satrio Arismunandar, Ahmad Taufik, Goenawan Moh ...

(Indonesia) *

Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) is a private, non-stock, non-profit foundation in the Philippines that has focused its endeavor on press freedom protection along with the establishment of a framework of responsibility for ...

(Philippines) *

Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) is a non-profit media organization specializing in investigative journalism. It is based in Quezon City, Philippines. Established in 1989 by nine Filipino journalists, the organization fu ...

SEAPA is registered in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

as a regional

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

. It has offices in Manila and houses its main secretariat in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

. SEAPA is an associate member of the

International Freedom of Expression Exchange IFEX, formerly International Freedom of Expression Exchange, is a global network of 124 independent non-governmental organisations that work at a local, national, regional, or international level to defend and promote freedom of expression as a ...

(IFEX), a global network of non-governmental organisations that work to promote and defend the right to free expression.

Members

The following are SEAPA's member organizations:

Cambodia

Cambodian Center for Human Rights The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR; km, មជ្ឈមណ្ឌលសិទ្ធិមនុស្សកម្ពុជា) is a non-partisan, independent, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy and ...

(CCHR) * Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM)

Indonesia

* Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (Alliance of Independent Journalists, AJI-Indonesia) * Institut Studi Arus Informasi (Institute for Studies on the Free Flow of Information, ISAI, Indonesia) * Forum Jurnalis Perempuan – Indonesia (Forum of Women Journalists in Indonesia, FJP Indonesia) – associate member

Malaysia

* Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ, Malaysia)

Myanmar

* Burma News InternationalBNI-wide (BNI) – associate member * Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) – associate member

Philippines

* Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR, Philippines) * Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) * National Union of Journalists in the Philippines – associate member

Thailand

* Thai Journalists Association (TJA)

Timor Leste (Timor Lorosae)

* Asosiasaun Jornalista Timor Lorosa’e (Timor Leste Journalist Association, AJTL)

External links

SEAPA blog

References

Philippine journalism organizations Freedom of expression organizations Organizations established in 1988 Southeast Asia Organizations based in Manila {{journalism-stub