Civil society flourishes under conditions that include freedoms of speech and assembly. But what happens when those conditions are lacking? This article explores cases in Malaysia and Thailand where freedoms are limited, but where political unrest regularly challenges the state. Appropriated physical and virtual spaces where deliberative interactions may occur become key drivers in such environments. Our research reveals that while civil society exists in Malaysia and Thailand, without codified freedoms and physical spaces for deliberative interactions, civil society flourishes during tumultuous times but flounders after its immediate goals are achieved.
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