Covid-19: Asian nations accused by United Nation of censorship during pandemic

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 05:59 am

United Nation rights chief on Wednesday has expressed alarm that China and Asian nations were using Covid-19 crisis as an excuse to target and tighten censorship and free expression.

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a statement that aside for the tigthened censorship in several countries, there were also arbitrary arrests and detention of people who criticize their government’s response.

She reported that several countries including China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam have been using the pandemic to tighten and censor any information during this crisis. A move that will likely to cause more harm than good. The High Commissioner reiterated that while she recognized that the government may have a legitimate interest in controlling the spread of misinformation, this should always be proportionate and protect freedom of expression. This pandemic should not be used to restrict disent and sharing of information with others.

Katherine S

1/4 German, 3/4 Malaysian. I write, follow and monitor closely political news happening in Malaysia, and other happening news in the ASEAN region. Newswriter for the best ASEAN news website - The Asian Affairs.

Recent Posts

Did You Know Netizens Thought Zayn Malik was Catfishing on Tinder

Zayn Malik's sincere search for a real connection was greeted with suspicion and charges of catfishing in a world where…

May 15, 2024

Top 10 Unforgettable Songs of Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is one of the most famous American singers known for her unbeatable songs and natural beauty. She is…

May 15, 2024

Alice Guo: How did a Chinese Citizen Wound Up Being a Philippine Mayor When It’s Not Allowed

Alice Guo's story isn't your typical political tale. Born in 1986 in Tarlac to a Filipino-Chinese father and a Filipino…

May 15, 2024

Google Displays how Ai would take over and run Gmail, photos, G Suite and other products at its annual Google I/O Conference

Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO in a statement in May 2023 said how his company was trying to incorporate the use…

May 15, 2024

From Minority to Majority: How Chinese-Indonesians are Taking Over Indonesia’s Political Arena

Chinese-Indonesians are a vibrant community that have long been a part of Indonesian society, yet throughout history they have been…

May 15, 2024

IMF: These are the World’s Biggest Economies in 2029

With the end of the decade fast approaching, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has published a report outlining the world's…

May 14, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More