SUMMARY “Shutting down free expression on account of religion or religious sentiment has far reaching and real consequences for everyone. It impacts the environment for citizens to voice their opinions and participate in democratic processes. These restrictions particularly affect human rights defenders and the media, inhibiting their ability to carry out their legitimate engagements. From the brutal murders of bloggers in Bangladesh to the killings of journalists in Pakistan; from the discriminatory laws in Malaysia to the draconian state intrusion into the lives of citizens by the Vietnamese government; from the increasing religious intolerance in India to violence against minorities in Sri Lanka and Myanmar – Asian countries have shown poor levels of tolerance and respect for freedoms. Free speech and freedom of religion are both essential for a free and democratic society. Unfortunately, this frightening trend of curbs against dissent is escalating across Asia, as this report reveals. In the name of protecting religion and the sanctity thereof, there has been a rampant increase in violence against courageous citizens across Asia over the last five years - journalists, activists, sexual and religious minorities, lawyers and politicians, all have been persecuted and continue to be at risk. Moreover, the intersection of online and offline violence is one of the most glaring and life-threatening hazards that civil society and media practitioners have to navigate in today’s Asia. Across the region, persecution of minority groups or dissident voices varies from one country to another. Pakistan, with its sectarian intolerance, targets minority Muslim sects like Ahmadis and Christians and Hindus through discriminatory laws, violent extremists and militants. India, through sheer faith-based intolerance that enjoys legal cover, discriminates against Muslim and Christian minorities. The extremist nationalist Buddhists of Sri Lanka and Myanmar are oppressing minority groups such as Muslims, Hindus and Christians. In Bangladesh, religious extremists are discriminating between atheist and Christian. In Malaysia, atheist and non-Muslim minorities are censoring themselves in the face of pro-Islam legislations,and in Indonesia, in addition to the blasphemy law, the Muslim majority has immense privilege over non-Muslim and Muslim minority sects. The right to freedom of religion is intrinsically linked to freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of association and assembly, as well as other human rights and fundamental freedoms. These rights, individually and collectively, guarantee and contribute to the building of peaceful, inclusive, pluralistic, tolerant, progressive and democratic societies. The reason the Asian region is confronted with a steep challenge in this regard is due to restrictions placed on freedom of expression for the sake of protecting religious sentiments. 14