‘NewsClick Raids Emblematic of Shrinking Press Freedom, Democratic Backslide in South Asia’
New Delhi: The recent raids by the Delhi Police on 46 journalists connected with NewsClick illustrate the trend of shrinking press freedom and democratic backsliding across South Asia, a statement by three dozen academics, activists and concerned individuals says.
The NewsClick raids and arrests, the statement says, are part of a growing trend in India to harass and intimidate independent media by the misuse of the police and state agencies for narrow political gains. They pointed to similar incidents in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“The latest developments in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka ring an alarm bell for all of us in South Asia who care about preserving our democratic rights and freedoms. In their decided attempts to target journalists, or to harass or silence other dissenting voices, our governments have begun to employ the new tactic of portraying journalists and citizen-activists who dare to expose the misdeeds of those in power as ‘anti-national’ and threats to national security,” the statement says.
Denying citizens the democratic space for critical questioning will drag South Asian countries into a new phase of authoritarian decay, said the signatories, most of whom are Sri Lankan.
“Therefore, struggles for media freedom in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or elsewhere in the region is to be viewed as integral to the struggle for democracy in South Asia as a whole. Amid the heightening attacks on free media and the right to free expression, we must respond collectively as South Asians. We must resist tyranny in all forms, and fight to restore and strengthen our fundamental rights and democratic freedoms. We must resolve to look out for each other, assert our rights, and defend our freedoms within and beyond our individual nation-states,” the statement said.
Read the full statement, and the list of signatories, below.
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Condemning the heightening attack on free expression and democratic rights
The imposition of severe restrictions on the independent media and media professionals by governments has become a recurring feature of the continuing crisis of democracy in South Asia. The unending assault on free expression and democratic rights in South Asia is no longer a country-specific development. Neither is it confined to specific nation states. Rather it is a regional phenomenon, signalling a new and worsening phase of democratic backsliding in South Asia.
The recent raids by the Delhi Police on 46 houses of journalists connected with the Indian news portal NewsClick illustrates this shocking trend. More unsettling is the arrest of Prabir Purkayastha, its Editor-in-Chief, and Amith Chakravorty, its Head of Human Resources, on the pretext of investigating them for a “terror case with Chinese links”. The Indian media has reported that the police has blatantly disregarded the legally sanctioned procedures in arresting the senior journalist and his colleague. The authorities are yet to make known any material on the website with links to any “terrorist activity” or “Chinese propaganda”.
We join the progressive media, civil society organisations and activists in India to condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen attack by the government on the free media. Harassment and intimidation of the independent media by the misuse of the police and state agencies for narrow political gains is part of a growing trend in a country claimed to be the ‘Mother of Democracy.’ Many commentators have likened this trend to the stifling times of the Emergency in India during the 1970s, although a State of Emergency has not been formally declared now.
In recent weeks, journalists in Bangladesh, too, have been subjected to enormous pressure, by way of judicial harassment, police violence, online harassment, attacks at reporting assignments, and intimidation of journalists’ families. We particularly take note of the recent jailing of Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan, two leading human rights campaigners attached to Odhikar, Bangladesh, a leading human rights documentation and reporting centre. The charge against them is “publishing and circulating false information, hurting religious sentiments and undermining the image of the state ” In Sri Lanka, the government has tabled and is threatening to pass what it calls an ‘Online Safety Bill’, a legislation that provides a draconian legal framework to potentially stifle dissent and free expression. Such moves have a chilling effect on journalists and rights defenders, inhibiting them from speaking truth to power.
The latest developments in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka ring an alarm bell for all of us in South Asia who care about preserving our democratic rights and freedoms. In their decided attempts to target journalists, or to harass or silence other dissenting voices, our governments have begun to employ the new tactic of portraying journalists and citizen-activists who dare to expose the misdeeds of those in power as “anti-national” and threats to national security. By denying the citizens the democratic space for critical questioning, dissent and debate, and deploying the coercive power of the state in full force against the media and the media professionals, our governments seem to show how impatient they are to drag our countries into a new phase of authoritarian decay. This indeed is bad political news for the whole of South Asia.
Therefore, struggles for media freedom in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or elsewhere in the region is to be viewed as integral to the struggle for democracy in South Asia as a whole. Amid the heightening attacks on free media and the right to free expression, we must respond collectively as South Asians. We must resist tyranny in all forms, and fight to restore and strengthen our fundamental rights and democratic freedoms. We must resolve to look out for each other, assert our rights, and defend our freedoms within and beyond our individual nation-states.
We demand the immediate release of Prabir Purkayastha and Amith Chakravorty of NewsClick and Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan of Odhikar. We condemn the actions by governments in South Asia designed to silence the critical and independent media by using the stringent national security legislation. We also urge all South Asians concerned with media freedom, human rights, and rule of law to campaign together to defend democracy in the region through solidarity and joint action beyond the nation-state boundaries.
Endorsed by:
Name Position/Affiliation
- Professor Liyanage Amarakeerthi University of Peradeniya
- Radhika Coomaraswamy Fellow, International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo
- Professor Nirmal Devasiri University of Colombo
- Vishaka Dharmadasa Human rights campaigner, Kandy
- Dr. Gethika Dharmasinghe University of Colombo
- Kanak Dixit Founder, Himal Southasian, Kathmandu
- Ruki Fernando Human rights campaigner, Colombo
- Bhavani Fonseka Attorney-at-Law and human rights campaigner, Colombo
- Nalaka Gunawardena Media analysit, Colombo
- Roman Gautam Editor, Himal Southasian, Kathmandu
- Dr. Mario Gomez Execuive Director, International Centre for Ethnic Studies
- Dr. Gehan Gunatilleke Attorney-at-law and human rights campaigner, Colombo
- Professor Farzana Haniffa University of Colombo
- Rohana Hettiarachchi Executive Director, Peope’s Action for Free and Fair Elections, Colombo
- K. W. Janaranjana Editor, Anidda, Colombo
- Tissa Jayatilaka Former academic/academic administrator
- Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar University of Jaffna
- Sakuntala Kadirgamar Executie Director, Law and Society Trust, Colombo
- Anusha Kollure Civil society activist, Colombo
- Professor Prabha Manuratne University of Kelaniya
- Dr. Mahim Mendis Open University of Sri Lanka
- A. M. Navaratna Bandara Former Professor, University of Peradeniya
- Arjuna Parakrama Former Professor, University of Peradeniya
- Jehan Perera Executive Director, National Peace Council, Colombo
- Dr. Athulasiri Samarakoon Secretary, Federation of University Teachers’ Associations, Colombo
- Dr. P. Saravanamuttu Executive Director, Centre for Policy Alternatives
- Dr. Kalana Senaratne University of Peradeniya
- Gamini Keerawella Professor Emeritus, University of Peradeniya
- B. Skanthakumar Social Scientists’ Association, Colombo
- M. A. Sumanthiran Presdient’s Counsel and Member of Parliament
- Professor Deepika Udagama University of Peradeniya
- Jayadeva Uyangoda Professor Emeritus, University of Colombo
- Gamini Viyangoda Writer and political analyst
- Dr. Jayamptyhy Wickramaratne President’s Counsel, Colombo
- Dr. Joe William Executive Director, Centre for Communication Training, Colombo
- Lal Wijenayake Convenor, Lawyers for Democracy, Kandy
