NEW YORK: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) chastised the Indian government on Friday saying that “the Indian government and its police force remain a threat to basic freedoms in the region”, and added that in the past year, violence against journalists had been a cause of concern to press freedom organisations.

The watchdog group called on the Indian authorities to restore access to social media platforms in Kashmir, blocked since violent protests erupted in the region last month, and urged an end to threats against journalists and citizen journalists.

The RSF noted that the government banned 22 social media sites on April 26, including Facebook and Twitter, saying they were being used to incite violence. The RSF further said since April 8, eight people had been killed and more than 80 injured in scuffles between police and protesters. Against this background of widespread violence, journalists are often targeted.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2017