Asia Citizen Future Association
社團法人亞洲公民未來協會

International Joint Action
Southeast Asian NGOs and human rights defenders face a severe challenge at present, with the shrinking of civic space. What role can Taiwan play in cooperating with these groups to adapt to this challenge?

Asia Citizen Future Association, ACFA, was established in 2022 by a youth female activist who is based in Taiwan and connects with the regional civil society.

The founder of ACFA could not ignore while participating in regional civil society activities that, in the past few years, increasing Southeast Asian organizations and activists are facing threats and risks when they take actions. Consequently, exploring what role Taiwan can play as civic space shrinks in Southeast Asia is ACFA's core issue.

Despite the fact that Taiwan is located close to Southeast Asia, however, Taiwan is not familiar with regional affairs. At the same time, Taiwan's laws and regulations about freedom of association are still restrictive. This makes it challenging for Taiwan to support regional human rights defenders and organisations.

ACFA plays a role in filling this gap,by fostering a deeper mutual understanding amidst these dynamics, Taiwan can gradually relinquish its ambiguous attitudes and step away from the mere lofty ideal of democracy. This transition opens avenues for establishing pragmatic connections and fostering collaborations with its neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

We published the report "Exploring Taiwan's Role Amid The Crisis of Closing Civic Space in Southeast Asia" in 2023, raising policy suggestions, so that Taiwan could gradually play a role as an alternative civic space during this time of shrinking civic space in Southeast Asia.

Associated Events
Khin Ohmar, Founder and Chairperson of the Progressive Voice Myanmar and the young female leader of the 1988 Uprising, delivered a speech at the 2023 ACFA Report Launch Forum on "Exploring Taiwan's Roles Amid The Crisis of Closing Civic Space in the Southeast Asia".
Shih Yi-Hsiang, Secretary General of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR), delivered a speech at the 2023 ACFA Report Launch Forum on "Exploring Taiwan's Roles Amid The Crisis of Closing Civic Space in the Southeast Asia".
Held the Taiwan Press Conference on the " in 2023.Second year of the people’s resistance against the military attempted coup in Myanmar"
Roundtable Workshop at the ACFA 2023 Report Launch Forum on "Exploring Taiwan's Roles Amid The Crisis of Closing Civic Space in the Southeast Asia"
ACFA 2023 Report Launch Forum on "Exploring Taiwan's Roles Amid The Crisis of Closing Civic Space in the Southeast Asia"
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