KATHMANDU, March 17: While concluding that civil freedom in the country is facing an increasing crackdown as in most other Asian countries, a global research agency has rated Nepal’s civic space as ‘obstructed’.
The CIVICUS Monitor report launched globally on Thursday gave Nepal 46 of 100 points to keep in the obstructed (41-60) category. The report states that Nepal saw a number of attacks against press freedom and police crackdown against peaceful protests. The report states that the use of excessive force and firearms by the police were documented in the year 2022.
Nepal’s rank in terms of civic space freedom, however, remains better than all other South Asian countries except Bhutan, which scored 59.
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Among other South Asian countries, only Sri Lanka (41) has made it to the oppressed category whereas India (31), Pakistan (30) and Bangladesh (27) are put in the restricted category. Afghanistan (13) is in the closed category as is China (12) in the Asia Pacific region.
The CIVICUS categorized countries into open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed and closed on the basis of the state of civil freedom existing in a country. The CIVICUS Monitor continued to document restrictions and attacks on civic freedoms across the Asia Pacific region. As most governments lifted controls in relation to the pandemic, efforts to stifle dissent and crackdown on civil society and social movements remained prevalent and escalated in some countries.
Among the most common violations were the passing and use of restrictive laws to criminalize activists and critics. In several countries these laws were used to prosecute human rights defenders and keep them behind bars for long periods.
Another widespread trend across the region was the disruption of protests calling for political or economic reforms, with the authorities often detaining protesters and using excessive force. The authorities also harassed activists and protesters, including by hauling them in for questioning, detaining them, intimidating their families and imposing travel bans, in addition to digital attacks.
In the Asia region, there is civic space regression with an increase in countries in the closed category from four to seven. China, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam, remaining in this category, are joined by Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Myanmar.
Eight countries are rated as repressed – Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – and seven are in the obstructed category: Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor- Leste. Civic space in Japan, Mongolia and South Korea is rated as narrowed, with Taiwan remaining the only country rated as open.
