Timor-Leste: Concerns around cyber crime bill, harassment of journalists and martial arts ban | #cybercrime | #infosec

Timor-Leste’s civic space is rated as ‘narrowed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor, placing it among the countries with the best ratings for civic freedoms in Southeast Asia. The country generally fosters an enabling environment for freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Journalists are largely free to report without interference, and civil society remains active and engaged. Citizens regularly participate in peaceful demonstrations, reflecting a vibrant culture of public discourse. However, the law places some unjustified restrictions on protests, and protesters have been detained.

In April 2025, the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice held a five-day training on Human Rights for the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) Maritime Police Unit.

In May 2025, Timor-Leste marked World Press Freedom Day with a commemorative march and event which gathered government officials, media institutions, civil society and journalists. At the event the government reaffirmed its commitment to freedom of expression.

In the same month, it was announced that Timor-Leste will join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October 2025 as the 11th Member of ASEAN. This milestone marks a historic step in Timor-Leste’s regional integration and recognition, affirming its growing role on the Southeast Asian and global stage.

In recent months, civil society has raised concerns about a draft cybercrime bill that could be used to silence expression and curb online freedom. Journalists continue to face online harassment, while the government prolonged the ban on martial arts groups. Activists have continued to show solidarity with the West Papuan people in Indonesia despite previous restrictions.

Expression

Civil society raises concerns about the draft cybercrime bill

On 5th March 2025, the Timor-Leste government announced progress on a draft cybercrime bill aimed at tackling online misconduct and criminal activity. Minister of Justice Sérgio Hornay stated that the bill, being drafted with input from the Prosecutor’s Office, aims to address misuse of social media, including the spread of inappropriate language and criticism of national leaders.

However, civil society groups, including the NGO Forum Timor-Leste, expressed concerns that the law may be used to suppress dissent and curb online freedom by disproportionately focusing on protecting the reputations of political elites rather than addressing serious online threats like fraud, harassment, identity theft, or cyberbullying. The Timor-Leste Journalists Association echoed these concerns, emphasising risks to media freedom and cautioning against potential censorship under the guise of regulation.

Previously, in 2021, an analysis of the cybercrime bill by the International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law found a number of concerns. While the bill required the authorities to obtain a warrant prior to accessing information or data, or prior to searching computers and other electronic communications, it did not set out the evidentiary threshold that must be proven before a judge issues a warrant. Further, there was no limit for the duration of the warrant. The proposed law also imposed criminal liability on legal entities for cybercrimes committed ‘in their name and in the collective interest of the people who occupy a leadership position’. In June 2024, the Ministry of Justice put forward a revised draft law.

Journalists face harassment

In March 2025, in an interview released to ABC News on the investigation into online gender-based violence against journalists in the Indo-Pacific, Timorese journalist Zita Menezes from Hatutan.com revealed that she had been the target of online abuse. She shared that these attacks affected her confidence as a reporter, a growing concern in the context of Timor-Leste’s expanding digital connectivity.

Previously, in September 2024, reporter Antonieta Kartono Martins from Diligente Online, who was reporting on the eviction of street vendors in the capital of Timor-Leste by the police, was detained during a police operation in Dili. She was released hours later without charge. Police also confiscated and deleted footage from the camera of Suzana Cardoso from Media One Timor-Leste. Authorities described the incident as a “misunderstanding,” and President José Ramos-Horta reiterated his opposition to obstruction of journalistic work.

In May 2025, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released the 2025 World Press Freedom Index. Timor-Leste was ranked 39th out of 180 countries, a significant drop from its 20th position in 2024. RSF noted that journalists are usually free to report the news and are rarely the targets of harassment or physical attacks. However, they are exposed to many forms of pressure that limit their freedom, including legal proceedings, intimidation, police violence and public denigration of the media by politicians.

A culture of deference and respect for hierarchy continues to permeate journalism, to the point that some editors are content to reproduce the official reports of press conferences. The influence of the Catholic Church, followed by more than 95 percent of the population, deters journalists from covering some sensitive subjects, such as the emancipation of women, the right to abortion, or paedophilia in the clergy.

Association

Government prolongs martial arts groups ban

On 2nd April 2025, the Council of Ministers extended the national ban on the teaching, practice and gathering of martial arts groups until 31st December 2025.

As previously documented, in May 2024, the government of Timor-Leste announced the extension of the ban on martial arts groups until November 2024. The initial ban, issued in November 2023, stemmed from concerns about violence or possible links between martial arts and violent acts. The government cited continued public safety risks as justification for the prolonged suspension.

Introduced by Indonesia during its occupation, the practice of martial arts is very popular in Timor-Leste. Some Timorese involved in martial arts groups became clandestine members of groups supporting guerilla fighters during the occupation. Following the country’s 2002 independence, some groups migrated to politics, sparking sectarian violence. Others went into gang activity. The move by the government has been met with outrage by martial arts leaders and advocates.

Peaceful Assembly

Solidarity with the West Papua people

In May 2025, students from the National University of East Timor (UNTL) and supporters held a march and press conference calling on the Indonesian state to end military operations and human rights violations against the West Papuan people.

They urged the state, the church, civil society and all students to show solidarity with the people of West Papua – just as people from other countries showed solidarity with East Timor’s own struggle for self-determination.

Previously, the Timorese authorities have restricted or blocked protests on West Papua in the country, especially during the visit of the Pope in September 2024 and outside the Indonesian embassy in Dili.