Wednesday 28 January 2026, 8:00 pm HKT / SGT
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has released their annual report about journalists imprisoned around the world on January 21, 2026. On this occasion, AAJA-Asia will host a Digital Salon with CPJ’s Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, Beh Lih Yi on Wednesday 28 January 2026, at 8:00 pm HKT / SGT.
Beh will present the 2025 reports main findings, with a special focus on Asia’s worst offenders. The discussion will be an opportunity to understand where in Asia news media professionals need security training and legal support the most, and to identify journalists who currently need our community’s support.
Please click on the picture below to watch the session’s video recording.
BEH Lih Yi 馬麗怡, Regional Director, Asia-Pacific, Committee to Protect Journalists
A press freedom advocate and journalist with more than 20 years of experience, Beh is the Asia-Pacific director at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a global press freedom organisation. She provides strategic direction and oversight of all areas of CPJ’s work in the Asia-Pacific region, guiding the organisation’s advocacy, research, and assistance efforts in protecting journalists and safeguarding press freedom, as well as managing a team of researchers.
She regularly engages with high-level government officials, diplomats, policymakers and international organisations to promote press freedom, and with the aim of bringing justice for journalists who were jailed or killed for their work. She is frequently interviewed by local and international media and has been cited by outlets including the BBC, Al Jazeera, the Guardian, AFP, Reuters, CNN and Nikkei Asia.
Beh began her career at the award-winning independent Malaysian news website, Malaysiakini, before going on to work for global news outlets Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Thomson Reuters Foundation. She reported from across Asia for over two decades, with a focus on human rights and social justice issues. She is multilingual and grew up in multi-cultural Malaysia.
Gilles Demptos, Director for Asia Pacific, AAJA (moderator)
Gilles is the Director for Asia Pacific of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Prior to joining this organization, Gilles has worked at advancing press freedom and the sustainability of quality, independent journalism for over 15 years at WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News publishers, in particular as Director of Asia between 2014 and 2018. More recently, Gilles was heading Public Policy and Government Affairs APAC for the news and media industries at Google. Gilles has also been the editor of the Asian Newsmedia Focus magazine for almost a decade, between 2009 and 2018.
EVENT’S DETAILS
- Date: Wednesday 28 January 20https://youtu.be/vi-XGekI6Wk26
- Time: 8:00 to 9:00 pm HKT/SGT
- Venue: Live fireside chat – Register below to receive a link to attend
About AAJA-Asia
The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is a nonprofit educational and professional organization with more than 1,500 members across the U.S. and Asia. The Asia chapter of AAJA represents members across the Asia-Pacific region. It is a diverse, multi-ethnic community of local and international journalists and media professionals committed to supporting a vibrant press in the Asia-Pacific region. It is committed to advance news diversity in Asia, foster the next generation of journalists, empower journalists from underrepresented communities, strengthen trust in quality journalism and contribute to building more democratic and harmonious societies through fair representation in Asia news.
About the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide and defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal. CPJ is made up of experts around the world, with headquarters in New York City. When press freedom violations occur, CPJ mobilizes a network of experts and researchers who report and take action on behalf of those targeted. CPJ reports on violations in repressive countries, conflict zones, and established democracies alike.