As authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have banned social media services after large scale student protests, the UN experts have called on the Government to protect “the right to freedom of expression and to pursue an open and democratic dialogue to address the region's social and political conflicts.”
In a news release issued by the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression and Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders stressed that the scope of the restrictions also undermined “the Government's stated aim of preventing dissemination of information that could lead to violence.”
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“The internet and telecommunications bans have the character of collective punishment [and] fail to meet the standards required under international human rights law to limit freedom of expression,” said Kaye in the news release.
“Denying such access disrupts the free exchange of ideas and the ability of individuals to connect with one another and associate peacefully on matters of shared concern,” Forst said.
The ban was imposed on 17 April following widespread student demonstrations.
The Government has blocked access to 22 websites and applications, including the messaging service WhatsApp, and social media Facebook and Twitter, noted the news release.
“We call on the Indian authorities to guarantee freedom of expression in Jammu and Kashmir and to seek a solution for the social and political conflicts of the region through an open, transparent and democratic dialogue,” the experts said.
