TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is again the only country in Asia to have been rated as having an open civic space, while the Philippines has been downgraded, according to a report by human rights organization Civicus.

In its annual report titled "People Power Under Attack 2020," Civicus Monitor wrote that amid the coronavirus pandemic, civic space has declined across the globe, with only 3.4 percent of people living in an open society. In the 25 countries listed in the Asia Pacific region, only Taiwan has been rated as truly open.

The report assesses the civic space of various countries from the perspectives of the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression. Each country is rated as falling into one of five categories: “open”, “narrowed,” “obstructed,” “repressed,” and “closed.”

In the Asia Pacific, four countries — China, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam — were rated as closed. Nine were listed as repressed, nine as obstructed, and only Taiwan was deemed to be open.

Under the section "Positive Developments," Taiwan was listed for having hosted one of the few Pride marches seen in 2020, with the LGBTQI+ community "visibly asserting their rights."

The Philippines was the only country in the region to be downgraded from obstructed to repressed "owing to its decline in fundamental freedoms." The report cited the shutdown of ABS-CBN; conviction of journalist Maria Ressa; imprisonment of Senator Leila De Lima; and attacks, murders, and harassment of human rights defenders as reasons for the downgrade.

In its website's section on Taiwan, Civicius noted the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by the Taiwanese government on Aug. 1 of this year. It also pointed out that as of Aug. 28, Taiwan had registered 22 newly arrived foreign journalists for 2020.

However, the report also pointed out that Taiwan’s legislative amendments directed at combating misinformation raise concerns about the right to freedom of expression. Civicus Monitor also expressed concern that Taiwan's Assembly and Parade Act "continues to disproportionately restrict people’s right to hold peaceful assemblies."

Established in 1993, Civicus is a global alliance of civil society organizations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world. Its CIVICUS Monitor research tool provides real-time updates on the state of civic freedoms in 196 countries and territories.