JAKARTA, Indonesia, 18 November 2025 –The Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ) of Timor-Leste contributed a critical perspective at the South East Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) Regional Conference, “Human Rights in the Digital Space: Emerging Challenges and the Role of NHRIs,” held on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in Jakarta. PDHJ Chairperson Virgílio da Silva Guterres served as a distinguished panellist in Session 3: “Human Rights Protections in Digital Space for Vulnerable Groups.”
The session featured prominent speakers including Wahyudi Djafar, Executive Director of Catalyst Policy Works, and Datuk Mariati Robert, Vice Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), facilitating a rich discussion on digital risks faced by women, children, and other marginalized communities.
As a key speaker on the panel, Guterres framed the core challenge, stating, “In the digital age, vulnerability is a spectrum, not a fixed category.” He illustrated this by contrasting a sophisticated AI deepfake scam that defrauded a UK CEO with a cruel WhatsApp scheme that exploited a low-income couple in India. “The weapon of the digital predator can be a complex AI deepfake for a CEO, or a simple, cruel lie on WhatsApp for a poor family,” he emphasized, arguing that defences must be both universal and targeted.
His intervention outlined a comprehensive “architecture” for protection, built on four critical pillars: strong Privacy and Data Protection, protection from Online Violence and Abuse, Digital Inclusion and Access, and guarding against Algorithmic Discrimination.
Highlighting Timor-Leste’s context, Guterres pointed to a critical paradox: “the breakneck speed of digital adoption is outpacing our investment in foundational IT infrastructure.” He warned, “We are trying to build the highway while the cars are already racing down it,” leaving new internet users exposed and vulnerable.
In a significant announcement, Guterres revealed a major legal advancement spearheaded by the PDHJ, reporting that the Timorese Court of Appeal had declared the absence of a data protection law an “unconstitutional omission,” creating a constitutional mandate for comprehensive legislation.
Concluding with a powerful call to action, Guterres insisted that “Running away is not an option,” and urged greater regional cooperation through SEANF to forge a “pact of digital solidarity.”
The collective insights from the panellists directly contributed to the conference’s key output: the adoption of a SEANF Joint Statement on the Protection of Human Rights in the Digital Space, reinforcing the commitment of Southeast Asia’s NHRIs to address these emerging challenges collectively.
About SEANF:
The South East Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) is a regional platform comprising National Human Rights Institutions from Southeast Asia, dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights through cooperation, dialogue, and shared best practices.
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