THE SOUTH ASIA COLLECTIVE South Asia State of Minorities Report 2020 South Asia State of Minorities Report 2020 Minorities and Shrinking Civic Space THE SOUTH ASIA COLLECTIVE South Asia State of Minorities Report 2020 Minorities and Shrinking Civic Space Edited by a team at Social Science Baha, Kathmandu, consisting of 'HHSDN࠮DSD, Ritika Singh and Shambhawi Poudel with Khem Shreesh and 6XGHVKQD࠮DSD. Cover design and graphics by Promina Shrestha and Animesh Maharjan. Text pages design and layout by Chiran Ghimire. ौLVSXEOLFDWLRQZDVSURGXFHGZLWKWKHਭQDQFLDOVXSSRUWRIWKH(XURSHDQ Union and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Its contents are the sole responsibility of the South Asia Collective and do not QHFHVVDULO\UHਮHFWWKHYLHZVRIWKH(XURSHDQ8QLRQRU1RUDG ौLVZRUNLVOLFHQVHGXQGHUD&UHDWLYH&RPPRQV$िULEXWLRQ 1RQ&RPPHUFLDO6KDUH$OLNH,QWHUQDWLRQDO/LFHQVH3URYLGHGWKH\ DFNQRZOHGJHWKHVRXUFHXVHUVRIWKLVFRQWHQWDUHDOORZHGWRUHPL[WZHDN build upon and share for noncommercial purposes under the same original license terms. 1RYHPEHU South Asia Collective Email: [email protected] Web: thesouthasiacollective.org )DFHERRNIDFHERRNFRPWKHVRXWKDVLDFROOHFWLYH Contents Executive Summary vii Foreword xv Acknowledgements xix Note on the South Asia Collective xxiii Note on Contributors xxv Abbreviations and Acronyms xxxi Introduction: South Asia, Constrained xxxv Chapter 1 Shrinking Civic Spaces for Human Rights Defenders in Afghanistan 1 Chapter 2 Bangladesh: Civic Space and Minority Rights 29 Chapter 3 Civic Space and Religious Minorities in Bhutan 53 &KDSWHU Closing Civic Space in India: Targeting Minorities Amid 'HPRFUDWLF%DࠪVOLGLQJ 72 Chapter 5 Civic Space in Nepal 126 Chapter 6 Closing Civic Space in Pakistan 164 Chapter 7 Sri Lanka: Minority Rights within Shrinking Civic Space 196 Chapter 8 State of South Asian Minorities 2020 230 Appendices Commentaries 259 Assessment of Civic Space in South Asia (online survey) 267 Executive Summary Across South Asia, civil society is being increasingly constrained. It is either too nascent, due to late democratic development, or ZKHUHLWKDVKDGDOLिOHKLVWRU\RIJURZWKDQGQXUWXULQJLVIDFLQJ VWURQJ FKDOOHQJHV $QWLGHPRFUDWLF DXWKRULWDULDQ WHQGHQFLHV DQG greater securitisation of laws and practices appears to be the main GULYHUVRIWKLVQDUURZLQJWUHQGZLWKWKHPLGVDSSHDULQJWR be the period of convergence for this constriction in many of the countries. Democracy champions, human rights defenders (HRDs), and activists have been in the crosshairs of authorities everywhere IRUFKDOOHQJLQJVWDWHDFWLRQVDQGVSHDNLQJRXW$JUHDWGHDORIWKH narrowing of space for civil society concerns minorities, which is also due to the hardening of majoritarianism across the region. ौLVUHSRUWIRFXVHVRQWKHVWDWXVRIFLYLFVSDFHLQ6RXWK$VLD VSHFLਭFDOO\ IRU PLQRULWLHV $ FRPSUHKHQVLYH DQG LQFOXVLYH GHਭQLWLRQ RI FLYLF VSDFH LQFOXGHV VRFLDO PRYHPHQWV QDWLRQDO DQG LQWHUQDWLRQDO QRQJRYHUQPHQWDO RUJDQLVDWLRQV 1*2V FLYLO VRFLHW\RUJDQLVDWLRQV &62V WKHPHGLDDFDGHPLFVDQGDFWLYLVWV among others. A functional civic space depends on the rights i) to associate, ii) assemble peacefully, and iii) freely express views and RSLQLRQV+HQFHHDFKFKDSWHURIWKHUHSRUWVHHNVWRH[SORUHWKH status of these three ‘basic freedoms’ in several ways. ौHFKDSWHUVUHOLHGRQGHVNUHVHDUFKZLWKDUHYLHZRISXEOLVKHG materials on civic space for minorities in the respective countries. ौH FKDSWHUV DOVR LQFOXGH DVVHVVPHQWV RI ODZV DQG SROLFLHV WR regulate civic space as well as the bills proposed over the years WRFDSWXUHWKHJHQHUDOPRRGRIWKHJRYHUQPHQWRYHUWLPHYLV¢ vis civic space and civil society. Some primary data was collected WKURXJKDQRQOLQHH[SHUWVXUYH\IRU$IJKDQLVWDQ,QGLD3DNLVWDQ and Nepal to assess the public perception on civic space there. :KLOH D VLPLODU VXUYH\ ZDV XQGHUWDNHQ LQ DOO WKH FRXQWULHV WKH pandemic as well as other factors led to a very low number of vii South Asia State of Minorities Report 2020 UHVSRQGHQWVPDNLQJWKHDQDO\VLVPRRWौHSDQGHPLFDOVRUHVXOWHG LQWKHUHVHDUFKIRULQGLYLGXDOFKDSWHUVEHLQJPRVWO\FRQਭQHGWR materials available online. Key Findings ौHFRQVWLWXWLRQDOULJKWVRIIUHHGRPRIH[SUHVVLRQDVVRFLDWLRQDQG assembly in all the countries—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, \KDYH EHHQ LQFUHDVLQJOیQGLD 1HSDO 3DNLVWDQ DQG 6UL /DQND, violated by superseding legislation introduced by the respective JRYHUQPHQWVZLWKLQWKHODVWGHFDGHRUVR2QHSURPLQHQWH[DPSOH LV WKH LQFUHDVHG UHJXODWLRQ RI UHJLVWUDWLRQ RI &621*2V $V D consequence, civic space is becoming more restrictive over time, FUHDWLQJDKRVWLOHHQYLURQPHQWIRU&62V1*2VSURJUHVVLYHPHGLD entities and human rights defenders. i. Freedom of Expression: ौH UHJLRQ KDV VHHQ D FXUWDLOPHQW of freedom of expression. Some examples include the ,QWHUQDWLRQDO &RYHQDQW RQ &LYLO DQG 3ROLWLFDO 5LJKWV $FW EHLQJ GHSOR\HG WR FXUE IUHHGRP RI H[SUHVVLRQ DQG VLOHQFH FULWLFV LQ 6UL /DQND UDWKHU WKDQ DUUHVW SHUVRQV LQFLWLQJ HWKQLFUHOLJLRXV WHQVLRQV ,Q $IJKDQLVWDQ WKH 0DVV0HGLD/DZZDVPHDQWWRFRQVROLGDWHIUHHGRP of expression but instead contains clauses that require the upholding of Islam, which has been steadily weaponised by the government in recent years. Freedom of expression is DOVRDਬHFWHGLQ%DQJODGHVKSDUWLFXODUO\LQOLJKWRI'LJLWDO 6HFXULW\$FWXQGHUZKLFKSRVWLQJIDOVHSURYRFDWLYH indecent or sensitive information on websites or any HOHFWURQLFSODWIRUPVWKDWLVFRQVLGHUHGGHIDPDWRU\RUOLNHO\ to disrupt the country’s law and order situation, or harm UHOLJLRXV VHQWLPHQWV LV D SXQLVKDEOH RਬHQFH ,Q %KXWDQ XQGHUWKH1DWLRQDO6HFXULW\$FWVSHHFKWKDWFUHDWHVRU ۑKDWUHGDQGGLVDਬHFWLRQDPRQJWKHSHRSOHېDिHPSWVWRFUHDWH or ‘misunderstanding or hostility between the government and people’ can be punished with imprisonment. In India, there have been several instances of censorship of TV news channels, with channels that have broadcast views viii Executive Summary critical of the government being banned. In Nepal, there has been an amendment proposed to the Media Council %LOODERXWMRXUQDOLVWVUHTXLULQJDOLFHQFHWRZRUNZKLOHWKH &ULPLQDO&RGHRIFDQSXQLVKMRXUQDOLVWVIRUSXEOLVKLQJ ۑFRQਭGHQWLDOېLQIRUPDWLRQGHHPHG ii. Freedom of Association: ौH FRXQWULHV DUH ZLHOGLQJ WKH power to deny registration or renewal of registration RI &62V1*2V WR DिHPSW WR UHJXODWH WKHP ,Q %KXWDQ &62VDUHUHOXFWDQWWRHQJDJHLQDGYRFDF\HਬRUWVIRUIHDU VۑRI KDYLQJ WKHLU UHJLVWUDWLRQ FHUWLਭFDWHV UHYRNHG ,QGLD civil society actors—its human rights lawyers, activists, protesters, academics, journalists, liberal intelligentsia—in IDFW DOO WKRVH ZKR KDYH VSRNHQ XS DJDLQVW JRYHUQPHQW excesses and majoritarianism, have increasingly been under DिDFN $ORQJVLGH WKH )RUHLJQ &RQWULEXWLRQ 5HJXODWLRQ Act, which regulates foreign donations to entities in India, has been further weaponised against progressive and PLQRULW\1*2V,Q%DQJODGHVKXQGHUWKH)RUHLJQ'RQDWLRQ 9ROXQWDU\ $FWLYLWLHV 5HJXODWLRQ $FW UHJLVWUDWLRQ RI1*2VKDVEHHQPDGHPDQGDWRU\IRUUHFHLYLQJIRUHLJQ GRQDWLRQV ,Q 3DNLVWDQ 1*2V DQG ,1*2V DUH VXEMHFW WR extensive regulation involving multiple, lengthy procedures of registration, security clearance, and approvals for IXQGLQJौHHQWLUHSURFHVVLVFKDUDFWHULVHGE\DQDEVHQFH of transparency and limited civilian oversight, resulting in DUELWUDU\ UHMHFWLRQV RI 1*2 DSSOLFDWLRQV ZKLFK VHYHUHO\ curtails their ability to function. In Nepal, existing laws are cumbersome already, while new bills proposed will ensure severe curtailment of the civic space. In Afghanistan, the FODXVH ۑUHUHJLVWUDWLRQې 2V ODZ LQFOXGHV D EXUGHQVRPH*1 which implicitly allows the government to refuse to register DVSHFLਭF1*2OHDGLQJWRLWVDXWRPDWLFUHPRYDO iii. Freedom of Assembly: Violence against religious minorities is being used strategically to implement fundamentalist and supremacist national rhetoric. In Afghanistan, the Assembly /DZSODFHVVLJQLਭFDQWUHVWULFWLRQVRQJDWKHULQJVSURWHVWV and demonstrations, a serious concern for HRDs. In India, in ix South Asia State of Minorities Report 2020 RUGHUWRIRUHVWDOODQ\GLVVHQWDJDLQVWDQWLPLQRULW\SROLFLHV VQXਯQJیDXWKRULWLHV KDYH LPSRVHG HਬHFWLYH PDUWLDO ODZ یRXWFLYLFVSDFHFRPSOHWHO\LQ0XVOLPPDMRULW\.DVKPLU but also severely limiting it to Muslims and other groups SURWHVWLQJ DQWLPLQRULW\ SROLFLHV DQG SUDFWLFHV HOVHZKHUH 3XEOLF SURWHVW LV QRW DQ RXWOHW DYDLODEOH WR UHOLJLRXV PLQRULWLHVLQ3DNLVWDQDVPRVWIHDUYLROHQFHDQGUHWDOLDWLRQ E\H[WUHPLVWVDQG&KULVWLDQVFDQQRWHਬHFWLYHO\JDWKHUDQG pray because of the increasing opposition to the existence RIFKXUFKHVLQQRQPHWURSROLWDQDUHDV,Q1HSDO&KULVWLDQ IDLWKEDVHG1*2VDOVRUHSRUWIDFLQJLQFUHDVHGVFUXWLQ\,Q 6UL/DQNDWKHSHULRGD़HUWKH(DVWHUDिDFNVRI$SULO saw Muslims subjected to discrimination, harassment, arbitrary arrests and detention, and even violence. iv. Targeting of Religious Minorities: Civic space for religious PLQRULWLHVWRRKDVEHHQFXUWDLOHG,Q3DNLVWDQODZ\HUVZKR ZRUNDVKXPDQULJKWVDFWLYLVWVHVSHFLDOO\WKRVHGHIHQGLQJ cases of minorities related to blasphemy, but also Christian and other minority lawyers continue to face threats for the ZRUNWKH\GRौH%ODVSKHP\/DZKDVEHHQXVHGWRHQDEOH YLROHQFHDJDLQVWUHOLJLRXVPLQRULWLHVLQ3DNLVWDQौHUHKDYH EHHQUHSRUWVRI&KULVWLDQVEHLQJGHSULYHGRIVWDWHEHQHਭWV in Bhutan. India has become a dangerous and violent space IRU0XVOLPPLQRULWLHV,Q'HFHPEHUDQDPHQGPHQW in the Citizenship Act was passed which opened a pathway IRUDFDWHJRU\RILOOHJDOLPPLJUDQWVVSHFLਭFDOO\OHDYLQJRXW 0XVOLPV,QWKHUXQXSWRWKHOHJLVODWLRQWKHJRYHUQPHQW also declared its intentions to create a National Register of Indian Citizens, which would have the potential to render many Muslims stateless. v. Targeting of HRDs,Q$IJKDQLVWDQVLQFH+5'VFLYLO society activists, and journalists have been constantly exposed to threats, harassment, intimidation, detention, DQGNLOOLQJVE\ERWKVWDWHDQGQRQVWDWHDFWRUVौHUHLVDQ