The Long Reach of the Strong Arm: Evolving Forms of Transnational Authoritarianism

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Frontmatter

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2. Chapter 1. Introduction

   • Open Access

   Mubashar Hasan, Arild Engelsen Ruud

   Abstract

   It is a character trait of authoritarian regimes to be sensitive to criticism. Transnational authoritarianism denotes the efforts backsliding democracies and established autocracies engage in their attempts to disable the voice of citizens abroad. To disable voice defines authoritarianism, and attempts to disable voice at home or abroad define a regime as authoritarian. This collection of studies of transnational authoritarianism makes three points. The range of repressive tactics is broad, from pin-prick harassment such as denial of consular support to outright murder, and it has been added to by less-visible forms of digital surveillance techniques. Many of these are invisible and cheap, and hence politically and financially attractive to nascent authoritarian regimes. Secondly, we see worrying signs of collaboration, involving both autocratic and backsliding democracies. Collaboration among want-to-be autocrats becomes easier the more there are of them. And lastly, by hindering free speech among exiled diaspora, transnational authoritarianism also affects the democratic standard of host countries, including liberal democracies in the West. When exiles cannot raise their voice about oppression ‘at home’ in their land of exile, the host country’s freedom of expression is also diminished.

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3. Chapter 2. Freedom House and the Transnational Repression Project

   • Open Access

   Nate Schenkkan, Mubashar Hasan, Arild Engelsen Ruud

   Abstract

   The transnational repression (TNR) database, created by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Freedom House, has received wide attention in media and policy circles. In-depth reports on TNR published by the Washington Post and Time Magazine have cited the Freedom House database on how authoritarian governments operate in the West to silence their critics by engaging in violent physical attacks. Freedom House used this database to lobby Western governments to sign a policy pushing back against TNR. A notable moment in this campaign was when Freedom House participated in the Biden administration’s second Democracy Summit to raise its wider concerns with the international community about TNR. Apart from methodological limitations, the documenting of TNR cases has been vitally important. In this interview-based chapter, Nate Schenkkan, former Senior Director of Research at Freedom House, speaks frankly with the editors about the history, use, and challenges of documenting TNR.

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4. Chapter 3. AI-driven Digital Transnational Repression: Past Lessons, Present Challenges, and Future Directions

   • Open Access

   Rumela Sen, Nusrat Farooq

   Abstract

   This chapter explores the changing dynamics of Digital Transnational Repression (DTR) pre- and post-AI introduction, especially following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, which rapidly attracted one million users. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI has transformed the landscape of transnational repression, expanding its scope and making it more difficult to detect and combat. Traditional repression methods such as assassination, unlawful deportation, and family intimidation have increasingly merged with digital tactics. DTR now includes digital surveillance, spyware, phishing attacks, doxxing, and disinformation campaigns, creating violent threats that often lead to self-censorship among targeted individuals. With generative AI enhancing content generation, the implications for DTR are profound and far-reaching. To address these challenges, we advocate for new policy measures that focus on robust regulations, whistle-blower protections, and comprehensive engagement from global civil society to counteract the potential misuse of AI in transnational repression.

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5. Chapter 4. The Global Dissemination of Surveillance Technologies That Enable Repression

   • Open Access

   Monique Taylor

   Abstract

   Advanced surveillance technologies are integral to an authoritarian government’s efforts to strengthen control over society and monitor its critics and political opponents, both at home and abroad. China has been a focus for discussion of this phenomenon in recent years, and not without cause. For example, Huawei has been working with illiberal governments in Serbia, Turkey, Uganda, Kenya, Angola, Laos, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia to implement smart city projects, including “safe city” solutions with facial recognition technology. Other countries also export technologies that enable surveillance and repression—Israel, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and others—although China currently leads in the export of AI-powered surveillance products. This chapter unpacks the complex global problem of the dissemination of surveillance technologies that enable repression and explores possible solutions. The export of Pegasus spyware and the deployment of facial recognition technology in Serbia are examined to highlight the strategies and outcomes associated with the spread of surveillance technologies.

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6. Chapter 5. The Thai State’s Transnational Repression: Forced Disappearance, Clandestine Murder, and Online Mobilization

   • Open Access

   Karin Zackari

   Abstract

   This chapter identifies trends in the Thai state’s targeted repression of political dissent in the past two decades and shows how the government, the legal system, and armed forces have expanded repression to the digital spaces and to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. The chapter focusses on the two main forms of transnational repression practiced by the Thai state: direct violent attacks and digital surveillance and mobilization to intimidate and silence political dissidents. It provides historical and political context for understanding the Thai state’s transnational repression as a tool to control contestations over the monarchy’s role in politics and society. After the military coup in 2014, the Thai state began to direct its repressive tactics towards political exiles, and between 2016 and 2020, nine individuals were forcefully disappeared or murdered in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. All the nine were outspoken critics of the monarchy and faced lèse-majesté charges in Thailand—a political crime with harsh punishment.

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7. Chapter 6. Extending Authoritarian Reach: The Transnational Repression Strategies of Myanmar’s Military (Sit-Tat) Against the Diaspora

   • Open Access

   Naung Naung

   Abstract

   This chapter examines Myanmar’s military regime (Sit-Tat) and its use of transnational repression to silence dissent among diaspora and exiled communities following the 2021 coup. While much of the existing scholarship has focused on major authoritarian powers like China and Russia, this study addresses the significant yet overlooked case of Myanmar. It documents how Sit-Tat employs a diverse range of tactics—including political assassinations, digital surveillance, intimidation of family members, financial restrictions, passport controls, and pressure on host governments—to monitor, threaten, and suppress overseas opposition. Drawing on case studies from ASEAN countries and democracies like Australia, the chapter highlights how networked infrastructures such as embassies and digital platforms enable authoritarian control across borders. By contextualizing these practices within global patterns of transnational repression, the study contributes to a growing body of literature on authoritarianism, diaspora politics, and international human rights and calls for greater international scrutiny and protection for targeted diaspora communities.

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8. Chapter 7. China’s Transnational Repression (CTR) on Uyghur Diaspora and Its New Forms

   • Open Access

   Dilnur Reyhan

   Abstract

   This chapter will demonstrate, through concrete examples from the Uyghur diaspora, the new methods developed by China for transnational repression in recent years. The particularity of China’s transnational repression (CTR) is that it not only targets all diasporic members who are citizens of the People’s Republic, it also targets foreign citizens, not only of Uyghur ethnicity or those who have not been Chinese citizens in the past, but also other foreign citizens who are committed to human rights—particularly of Uyghurs. Thus, in recent years, we have seen many incidents produced by Chinese representatives or their institutions abroad against citizens of host countries. Among the new strategies of CTR and a new technique that has emerged over recent years, there is the use of legal tools in democratic countries to attack figures, researchers, or activists who are nationals of the host country. Through concrete cases in Egypt, Türkiye, and France, we demonstrate in this chapter the similarities of approaches and differences of methods. These three countries allow us to observe three variations of CTR.

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9. Chapter 8. Exiled Bangladeshis, the Digital Economy of Fear, and Social Disappearance

   • Open Access

   Lisa I. Knight

   Abstract

   In the wake of the brutal crackdown following the 2013 Gonojagoron Mancha movement, secular activists, bloggers, writers, LGBTQ+ advocates, and religious minorities were killed, prompting many to flee Bangladesh. This chapter explores the experiences of those exiles, focusing on the “affective economy of fear” that circulated through digital spaces in the form of harassment, threats, and legal intimidation.

   Under the authoritarian regime, ousted in 2024, Bangladesh’s repressive measures extended beyond national borders, turning the internet into a tool of transnational control. For exiles, digital platforms—once seen as safe havens for free expression—became fraught with risk. Fear was amplified and weaponized online, contributing to their precarity and eroding their visibility in public discourse. These dynamics fostered a form of “social disappearance,” in which exiles were gradually erased from the national narrative. The chapter underscores how digital spaces, rather than offering refuge, often become arenas of repression.

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10. Chapter 9. Transnational Repression by the Indian State, and My Academic Freedom: A Testimony

    • Open Access

    Ashok Swain, Mubashar Hasan, Arild Engelsen Ruud

    Abstract

    Professor Ashok Swain, a Swedish scholar of Indian origin, works at Uppsala University in Sweden. Because of his outspoken criticism of the Indian government, his Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card—a form of permanent residency for members of the Indian diaspora who hold foreign citizenship—was revoked. He and his family members in Sweden faced death threats and several other harassments. In this personal testimony, Professor Swain outlines how the Indian regime uses various tools to transnationally repress him and silence him. He candidly narrates the impact on his personal and professional life and the complexities he has faced in maintaining social relationships while standing firm in his convictions. Based on an interview with Swain, this chapter is co-authored with the editors.

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11. Chapter 10. Fear Without Borders: Bangladeshi State’s Transnational Repression Under Sheikh Hasina Regime

    • Open Access

    Mubashar Hasan

    Abstract

    This chapter examines the pervasive climate of fear cultivated by the Bangladeshi state under Sheikh Hasina’s regime, focusing on its transnational repression (TNR) tactics. Drawing from interviews with journalists, academics, and political activists living in exile, the analysis reveals how the government employs subtle yet effective low-impact strategies to silence dissenting voices across the globe—from Kuala Lumpur to Malmö, London to Sydney, and Washington DC to New York and Berlin. Unlike more prominent authoritarian regimes that resort to overt violence, such as assassination and kidnapping, Bangladesh’s approach relies on clandestine methods that evade immediate detection while instilling fear in targeted individuals. These tactics have profound psychological and social ramifications, significantly impacting the lives of exiled activists and demonstrating how the state’s reach extends beyond its borders. The study ultimately underscores the enduring threat that this transnational repression poses to freedom of expression and human rights on a global scale.

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12. Chapter 11. Afterword

    • Open Access

    Phil Robertson

    Abstract

    In the Afterword, Phil Robertson emphasizes the critical need to understand transnational repression (TNR) as a cohesive systemic phenomenon rather than isolated incidents. He illustrates the alarming rise of TNR in Southeast Asia, where authoritarian regimes increasingly target not just political dissidents but also ordinary citizens, leveraging technology for surveillance and repression. Through compelling case examples, Robertson highlights the dire effects of TNR on human rights and democratic processes, particularly focusing on Thailand’s role as a hub for such repression. He believes this book is essential for illuminating TNR’s complexities and the urgent need for systemic responses, including revisions to the Interpol Red Notice system. He calls for international coalitions to protect dissidents, stressing that while TNR poses significant challenges, organized and strategic responses are essential in the ongoing struggle for democracy and justice.

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13. Backmatter

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