An Australian man arrested in Thailand on a defamation charge that he says originated with Malaysia's government, says he is a victim of transnational repression, in which Southeast Asia countries cooperate in seizing critics.

Independent scholar and writer Murray Hunter, 66, told The Associated Press that he believes he was improperly arrested by Thai police on Monday for articles he had written about Malaysia in 2024 on his online Substack newsletter.

He questioned how his case falls under Thai jurisdiction.

Concerns about cross-border repression have been documented by groups such as Human Rights Watch and UN rights experts.

In a July report they expressed "profound concern regarding the reported rise in transnational repression ... to deter, silence or punish dissent, criticism or

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