Most of the news recently has focused solely on providing updates on the current Coronavirus Pandemic sweeping through the world. Just looking at the news alone could lead one to believe that very little else is happening as countries fight to save the lives of their citizens from COVID-19.
However, this is untrue as authoritarian regimes have been reportedly leveraging on the pandemic to clamp down on democracy, press freedom and in some cases, purveying human rights violations. It appears that COVID-19 is not only crippling health care systems and economies alone but is also impacting negatively on democracy.
Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, governments have since adopted control measures like border closure and mass digital surveillance to help mitigate spread. But the line between using emergency powers and exerting authoritarianism has been blurred in many countries. While there is a lot of confusion as to how to handle this overwhelming global crisis,this situation also presents an opportunity for authoritarian regimes to impose measures they wouldn’t impose in ordinary time. Also, due to the postponement of some elections, leaders in certain countries get to stay longer in power.
In Hungary, parliament passed a law that gives the government power to rule by decree during the COVID-19 emergency. What this means is that the current president of Hungary Viktor Orban can edit the laws of the country as he likes, unchallenged. This law contains no time limit and introduced 5-year jail sentences for anyone hindering measures to curb the spread of the virus or spreading “fake news” about the pandemic.
In Egypt, a journalist with the Guardian was forced to leave the country after she published a story based on a scientific study from infectious disease specialists, indicating that Egypt has a higher rate of coronavirus cases than the number confirmed by the government. Her press accreditation was revoked and she was asked by security forces to leave the country. She has been covering the region since 2014.
In Iran, a hot spot for the coronavirus with over 44,000 cases currently reported, has moved to restrict all forms of independent reporting. Iranian officials have also ordered that the media only use official statistics when covering COVID-19 and journalists who flaunt this will be arrested. VOA reports that at least one journalist was forced to retract social media comments.
In Nigeria, while media has not been sanctioned against reporting COVID-19 numbers, President Muhammad Buhari signed a Quarantine Act that requires a 14-day lockdown for Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. Since then videos have surfaced online of security operatives harassing citizens to enforce the lockdown. Amnesty International also reported a breakdown in order at a prison in Kaduna over suspected cases of COVID-19. Two deaths occurred from that incident.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used the emergency to postpone his corruption trial, block parliament from sitting, and grant extraordinary domestic surveillance powers to the internal intelligence agency.
In India, the ruling Hindu Nationalist Party led by Narendra Modi have banned Muslim protesters from staging a sit-in against a controversial new citizenship law since mid-December.
In Thailand, military leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, invoked an emergency decree dating back to 2005 to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The powers include the right to bar reporting on COVID-19 deemed false or causing republic fear.
In Jordan, the Monarchy ordered the closure of all print news outlets, and a curfew deploying the army to the entrance of the cities
In Cambodia, the lower house of parliament passed a law giving Hun Sen, the 67-year-old prime minister and one of the world longest-serving leaders, sweeping powers over citizens rights to movement, assembly and speech during national emergencies
In Philipines, president Rodrigo Duterte, signed into law, a legislation that gives him emergency powers to fight the outbreak, including powers over transport, private hospitals and the media. After residents of a neighbourhood near Manila protested, Mr Duterte said he had given police and soldiers orders to “shoot them dead” if they faced any trouble from curfew violators.
In the US, we see President Trump continuously lashing out against the media and viciously reacting to journalists or dissenting voices.
No more Protests
Months-long anti-government protests in Iraq, Algeria, and Lebanon that have been suspended and for leaders of these countries, the pressure to rise up to responsibility or to meet the demands of the people have been placed on hold temporarily.
Bottomline
While the pandemic calls for social distancing and effective public health measures, it does not justify police brutality and abuse of government power. Civil liberties must be upheld alongside public health protocol. Keeping in mind that even the strongest of democracies around the world are vulnerable to erosion at this time, the EU has guided that all measures taken must put human rights into consideration and seek to protect them. At some point, the outbreak will be over but the resolve to uphold democracy must remain.
