Impressive pushbacks, ‘a very expensive puppet show’, and a UN High Commissioner visits China
May 2022 in Asia-Pacific: A free expression round up produced by IFEX’s regional editor Mong Palatino, based on IFEX member reports and news from the region.
Protesters attacked by pro-government supporters in Sri Lanka, women push back in Afghanistan and Nepal, a viral anti-lockdown video in Shanghai, proposed reform agenda for the election winners in the Philippines and Australia, India’s Supreme Court suspends the enforcement of sedition law, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet makes a historic visit to China.
Sri Lanka: Protests, emergency decree, and a tribunal
Protests intensified in Sri Lanka amid the worsening economic crisis and continuing enforcement of repressive measures by the Rajapaksa government. Five weeks after the state of emergency declaration on 1 April, a second similar decree was issued on 6 May which was quickly denounced by various human rights groups. IFEX member Free Media Movement said the emergency measure is a disproportionate response to the massive protests, which it describes as a “non-violent, creative expression of dissent”. It called for the lifting of the emergency order.
“What needs to happen in a crisis is to expand the space for free speech and dissent, and the declaration of such repressive laws violates the democratic rights of the people, including freedom of speech and expression.”
On 9 May, thugs and government supporters attacked Galle Face Green, an urban park, and destroyed protest tents and camps. Journalists were among those who were injured during the attack. It led to more clashes, which eventually forced the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Aside from mishandling the economy, Rajapaksa and his brother are accused of enabling widespread human rights violations. This was tackled on 12 and 13 May in the People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists, which heard testimonies regarding the case of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge who was murdered in January 2009. The Tribunal, which was initiated by press freedom organizations Free Press Unlimited, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Reporters without Borders (RSF), coincided with the massive protests in Sri Lanka.
Featured pushbacks
#FreeHerFace
In Afghanistan, the Taliban ordered all women news presenters to cover their faces while reporting. It is part of a wider crackdown on women journalists, some of whom were expelled from press events. This prompted male newscasters to wear face masks in solidarity with their female colleagues. A social media campaign with the hashtag #FreeHerFace was launched to challenge the ban.
#JusticeForSushmita
In Nepal, thousands of protesters demanded justice for a former beauty pageant winner, named Sushmita, who revealed that she was drugged, repeatedly raped, and blackmailed in 2014 when she was just 16 years old. The exposé sparked a #JusticeForSushmita movement, which also inspired other young women victims of sexual abuse to come forward and narrate their traumatic experiences. Women’s groups have petitioned the government to end the one-year statute of limitations for rape and fast track the resolution of rape cases.
“Voices of April”
In China, authorities censored Shanghai internet users who were commenting on the prolonged COVID-19 lockdown and its disruptive impact on their lives. A popular six-minute video titled “Voices of April” compiles numerous audio recordings of residents about the hardships they are experiencing during the lockdown. After it was taken down by censors, netizens found creative ways of embedding the video in other platforms, making it even more popular.
Press solidarity
The Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) called on its members to boycott the press event organized by the Solomon Islands government during the 26 May visit of China’s foreign minister, because of the secrecy and restrictions imposed on journalists. MASI made the decision after learning that only two parties — a Chinese media delegation and a local journalist — would be allowed to ask questions during the event.
Elections… and after
Media and human rights groups are urging the winners in the 9 May Philippines elections to uphold press freedom and civil liberties. Several Southeast Asian media groups released a statement highlighting the need for urgent political action to reverse the decline of press freedom in the country.
“The guarantee of media freedom must be implemented by enacting press freedom laws, establishing independent media councils, decriminalizing defamation, ending censorship and bans on the media, and stopping lawsuits.”
The new president is former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos; while the new vice president is Mayor Sara Duterte, daughter of the incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte.
CPJ called for the dropping of trumped-up cases against journalists like Nobel laureate Maria Ressa who faces several tax and cyberlibel lawsuits. It also asked the new president to end the practice of red-tagging journalists and other critics of the government, because of its harmful consequences.
In Hong Kong, former senior police official John Lee was selected as the city’s new leader during the 8 May election. He was the lone candidate in an election process vetted by Beijing. “Instead of a real contest to select its leader, Hong Kong people now witness a very expensive puppet show,” wrote Maya Wang, senior China researcher of Human Rights Watch.
Three days after the election, five prominent civil society leaders, including a 90-year-old Catholic Cardinal, were arrested by authorities and charged with the crime of “colluding with foreign forces” under the notorious National Security Law. The arrest signals the continuing crackdown on pro-democracy forces under Hong Kong’s new leadership.
In Australia, the Labor Party emerged as the winner during the 21 May elections. During the campaign period, IFEX member Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance advised voters to choose candidates who will commit to provide greater support to media freedom and the arts.
On sedition and privacy: Good and bad news from India
On 11 May, the Supreme Court of India directed the central and state governments to hold in abeyance all cases pertaining to sedition, as authorities re-examine and reconsider Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. This order was welcomed by human rights groups, since the 152-year-old provision on sedition has been used to stifle free speech and persecute opposition forces. According to news reports, 800 sedition cases involving 13,000 citizens have been filed in the past decade alone.
Meanwhile, a new order issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on 28 April will soon require the registration and maintenance of user details by Virtual Private Servers, Cloud Service providers, and Virtual Private Networks for a period of five years. IFEX member SFLC.in said CERT-IN is “overstepping its powers and jurisdiction”, and that the new directive is “broad, vague and can cause a detrimental impact on the privacy of users.” Several companies offering VPN services are reportedly considering the option of leaving India because of the new order by CERT-In.
Michelle Bachelet visits China
During her visit to China in May, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet spoke to Chinese leaders and engaged various stakeholders on key human rights issues. At her press conference, she clarified that her visit was not an investigation but rather an opportunity to discuss human rights concerns with China’s top officials. One of these issues is the systematic attack on Turkic populations in the Xinjiang region, which is considered by some experts as a crime against humanity.
Some experts and human rights advocates believe that Bachelet should have done more to make Chinese authorities accountable for the continuing human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and other territories of China. Among those who commented on Bachelet’s visit to China was Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International and former UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions.
Originally published at https://ifex.org on May 31, 2022.
