JALAN Civic Lab Celebrated The Habibie Center’s 26th Anniversary in Jakarta
Jakarta, Indonesia
As part of The Habibie Center’s 26th Anniversary International Seminar, “Reimagining ASEAN for the Future: Navigating Regional and Global Dynamics in a Multipolar World,” JALAN Civic Lab joined Session II: The Launch of the Edited Volume on Reimagining ASEAN for the Future, where our team contributed to discussions on the region’s evolving digital and geopolitical challenges.
Representing JALAN Civic Lab, Matt Yutthaworakool, Executive Director, presented the newly published chapter “Scams that Scorch: Cybercrime, Labour Trafficking, and the Future of ASEAN Digital Governance,” co-authored with Ika Kurnia Riswandari, Co-Founder of JALAN Civic Lab. The session formed part of the launch event for the edited volume Reimagining ASEAN for the Future: Navigating Regional and Global Dynamics in a Multipolar World, which brings together leading regional scholars, practitioners, and policy analysts.
Matt and Ika’s chapter examines the alarming rise of cyber scam networks, forced criminality, and exploitative recruitment operations spreading across Southeast Asia, particularly in the Mekong subregion. Drawing from labour rights research, human security analyses, and regional governance frameworks, the authors highlight how digital transformation has created new vulnerabilities, widening regulatory gaps that allow transnational scam syndicates to operate with impunity.
Their presentation underscored three core insights:
Cyber scams and labour trafficking have become intertwined regional crises, facilitated by weak cross-border enforcement and fragmented digital regulatory systems.
ASEAN’s current governance tools remain largely non-binding, limiting the region’s ability to respond to rapidly evolving digital threats.
People-centred digital governance is urgently needed, grounded in rights-based protections, coordinated enforcement, and mechanisms that safeguard vulnerable communities across borders.
The session brought together authors and experts from across Southeast Asia to discuss how ASEAN can strengthen cooperation, build institutional resilience, and shape digital futures rooted in safety, accountability, and human dignity. The event highlighted the importance of linking cybersecurity, labour rights, and digital governance as interconnected policy arenas essential for regional stability. Should you be interested in the book chapter, please find a downloadable copy here or scan the QR code beside. For the session recording, please visit here.
If you are interested in future thinking across civic, climate, digital, and data democracy, JALAN Civic Lab welcomes collaboration. 📩 Contact us: jalanciviclab@gmail.com
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