This story by Mong Palatino originally appeared on Global Voices on 8 October 2025
Retired Australian academic Murray Hunter, 66, was arrested on September 29 at Bangkok airport in relation to a defamation suit filed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Hunter’s arrest has underscored the alarming trend of transnational repression across Southeast Asia, where some governments conspire and coordinate to target critics, journalists, and human rights defenders.
Hunter has lived in Malaysia for years and was a university lecturer until 2015. He moved to Thailand but continued to write about Malaysian politics and Southeast Asian issues through his Substack page and several news websites.
Hunter’s critical reports have earned the ire of Malaysian authorities. In April 2024, the MCMC accused him of “slanderous postings.” In February 2025, it filed defamation charges against the writer. It was only after Hunter’s arrest that it was revealed that an unnamed complainant filed a case in Thailand, which compelled Thai officials to initiate proceedings against him.
In an interview with veteran journalist Luke Hunt of The Diplomat news website, Hunter said that his Substack page is blocked in Malaysia. He also discussed how Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP suits) are increasingly being used by authorities to silence criticism. “The new rule is ‘thou shalt not criticize’; and if you do, there will be consequences,” he said.
In another interview with ABC Radio, Hunter thinks the MCMC is treating him as a “public enemy” even though his work is related to public interest. He also warned about the dangers of transnational repression and how his case could set an alarming precedent, especially since Thailand is a regional hub for exiled journalists, scholars, and dissidents.
He shared the same concern in an interview with Asia Sentinel:
Another example of a coordinated crackdown in recent years in the region was the arrest of a Montagnard Indigenous activist in Thailand after the Vietnamese government sought his extradition. Human Rights Watch also flagged how Thai authorities engage in a “swap mart” of refugees and dissidents with neighboring countries, citing the arrest of Thai critics living in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
In a joint statement, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and PEN Malaysia raised the following questions addressed to Malaysian authorities.
An online article in the Thai Examiner news site discussed the implications of the case:
Some Malaysian commentators insisted that Hunter should “be held accountable for what he writes online.” News reports said the MCMC is aware of Hunter’s arrest and that it will abide by due process in Thailand:
Hunter was released after posting a USD 620 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 17. If found guilty, he could face a two-year prison term.
(NS)
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