( CNN ) -- In April this year , people in Myanmar picked up their newspapers and saw ... nothing . Front pages across the Southeast Asian nation were completely black , in a show of solidarity for a journalist that was simply doing his job . This week , as world leaders gather to meet their regional counterparts in Myanmar 's capital Naypyidaw for two major summits , attendees should make a similarly firm statement about freedom of the press . The darkened front pages -- a remarkable move in a country where just a few years before , the military government imposed blanket controls on all media -- were in response to the case of Zaw Pe , a journalist with the independent Democratic Voice of Burma who had been sentenced to one year in jail . His `` crime '' was to investigate corruption in his home town , a story the authorities apparently did not want to see the light of day . It was a preposterous ruling against a journalist who was just doing his job , and Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience -- jailed solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression . Sadly , the move says much about the backslide in free speech in Myanmar , as the authorities re-tighten their grip on media and increasingly target peaceful critics ahead of national elections next year . This tightening comes despite Myanmar 's supposed transition away from military rule , which began in 2011 , but which is stalling as the government wrestles over how to secure the benefits of greater economic openness while controlling rising expectations of rights and freedoms that come with this . Unfortunately , its efforts to maintain control have frequently involved resorting to familiar tactics of repression and arrests . President Thein Sein has promised to clear the country 's jails of prisoners of conscience . Yet dozens still remain behind bars , while the jailing of land rights activists , journalists and other human rights defenders has actually picked up pace in the past year . And this is not just a problem in Myanmar -- governments across Southeast Asia , of all political persuasions , are closing down space for dissenting voices . Just look at Thailand , where the new government -- formed following a military coup in May -- has imposed blanket restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly . Gatherings of more than five people have been banned , and even eating a sandwich or reading a book in symbolic protest against the government can land you in front of a military court . Indeed , Thailand 's media operates under the constant watch of `` censorship panels , '' and the months since the coup have seen a surge in police investigations and prosecutions under the country 's lÃ¨se majestÃ© laws , which ban criticism of the royal family . Authorities in Malaysia , meanwhile , are increasingly making use of the draconian Sedition Act to silence peaceful critics , using a colonial-era law that gives the government sweeping powers to silence dissent . Two people have been convicted of sedition this year , with at least a dozen others currently facing charges . Scores more have been investigated for `` seditious '' activities , including opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim , who was placed under investigation in September . In Vietnam , the authorities continue to tightly control the media , and in recent years online activists and bloggers have been thrown into jail on spurious charges -- there are scores of prisoners of conscience languishing in harsh conditions . Next door in Cambodia , where earlier this year , security forces shot dead protesting garment workers , an alleged draft Cybercrime Law would criminalize and censor online expression critical of the government and its policies . Finally , even in Indonesia , which has been praised for its growing openness to improving human rights , dozens of individuals have been prosecuted under the country 's blasphemy laws as repression of minority religious groups has intensified -- that is in addition to the cases of scores of peaceful pro-independence activists from the Papua and Maluku regions who remain imprisoned , some for as long as 20 years , some for simply raising a flag . Southeast Asia has come a long way in recent decades in its efforts to improve respect for human rights , a change that has helped unleash some of the region 's economic potential . Yet the restrictions on free speech sweeping across the region are troubling , and are only likely to discourage much-needed investment from overseas . Those attending the November summits have an opportunity to reverse this trend . But to do so they must start by speaking out for all those in Southeast Asia whose voices have been silenced -- and demand the release of all prisoners of conscience jailed simply for the peaceful expression of their views .
Restrictions on free speech sweeping parts of Asia are troubling : Rupert Abbott . Despite supposed reforms , Myanmar is cracking down on media , he says . G20 Summit an opportunity for leaders to address freedom : Abbott .