New Asia journalism series sheds light on rights violations under the cover of the pandemic
Through podcasts, video stories, blog posts and articles, six independent media from six countries across Asia document how emergency laws, lockdown restrictions and clampdowns on media and civil society are affecting in particular the most vulnerable.
Visit the Covid-19 Asia: Rights Repressed site
Covid-19 has eroded democracy and respect for human rights in large parts of Asia with governments using the pandemic to justify a crackdown that in some countries was already well underway.
Among the few opportunities that this crisis has offered is the possibility for stronger collaboration between like-minded independent media organisations. In the Asia Rights Repressed Journalism Series – initiated by International Media Support (IMS), six media outlets from Nepal, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Cambodia and the Philippines bring to light stories of violations of rights during the pandemic with long-term consequences for societies’ most vulnerable. The stories have been published in their country and languages of origin.
In Indonesia, we hear about how the new Omnibus law on Job Creation passed quickly in October has been a set-back in the progress made on women’s and workers’ rights. In Cambodia, opposition politicians and activists have been accused of and jailed for allegedly spreading fake news about Covid-19. We hear about migrants moving back and forth in poverty between Nepal and India left to their own devices during times of high infections.
The pandemic has in many parts of the world amplified the need for media that report facts and documents the voices of the marginalized during the pandemic
The Asia Covid-19 Rights Repressed Journalism Series seeks to do this with contributions from Magdalene, Myanmar Frontier, Lok Sujag, VOD, PumaPodcast and Herne Katha.
Visit the site to explore the stories.
