Apagones de Internet

In parts of Azad Kashmir, internet access has been cut as of 7th of September 2019 amid protests against India’s revocation of Article 370. Data show that PTCL networks were shut in Kashmir on multiple dates through August and the longest of these disruptions continues at the time of writing.

The order cut Internet services off completely in camps where Rohingya refugees were residing, and restricted the sale of mobile phones, SIM cards and services to Rohingya refugees. Blocking Internet access in areas where a humanitarian crisis is in full swing has detrimental consequences on aid agencies who need reliable access to coordinate, on the refugees themselves, many of whom depend on the Internet to communicate with loved ones and receive financial support from relatives around the world, and the local population in the areas where the Internet is being restricted.

The administration has suspended mobile interest services in Gangapur City of Sawaimadhopur district after communal tension broke out in the city on Sunday. The administration has also imposed section 144 of CrPC banning gathering of five or more people.

Indonesia has blocked internet access in West Papua, a move that followed the government deployment of additional military and police personnel to the region to help to quell ongoing protests and secure vital public facilities.

Pakistan has shut down internet access in Azad Kashmir as of amid widening protests against Article370 revocation;

Mobile internet services were suspended in 10 police stations of Jaipur to prevent spread of rumors after a clash between two groups, following an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims, reports the Hindustan Times. Internet has been suspended in Ramganj and Galta Gate police stations. According to the report, some people pelted a carrying Kanwariyas, and 20 buses were damaged in the situation. India Today reports the police as saying that they have identified 3 people who were spreading rumours on social media that people were being forced to say ‘Jai Shri Ram’, but this didn’t happen. Others involved in spreading the rumour are being pursued, per the report.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the country in the wake of Centre’s decisions on abrogating provisions of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation the state into two union territories. He said the decision to scrap Article 370 will usher a new era of development in Jammu and Kashmir. He also urged industries to come and invest in the region. Meanwhile, internet services in Kargil have been interrupted after massive protests throughout the day, Earlier in the day, the Samjhauta Express arrived in India after Pakistan had stopped it earlier in the day. India had sent a train engine along with crew members to escort stranded passengers from Pakistan.

Los servicios de Internet, telefonía móvil y fija se cerraron durante distintos periodos de tiempo en Jammu y Cachemira, del 5 de agosto de 2019 al 5 de febrero de 2021, para frenar las reacciones violentas durante el examen del estatus especial del estado en virtud del artículo 370. Las líneas fijas se permitieron a partir del 18 de agosto de 2019. Los servicios móviles de pospago se permitieron a partir del 14 de octubre de 2019. Los servicios de banda ancha para fines esenciales se restablecieron el 15 de enero de 2020. Los servicios 4G se restablecieron el 5 de febrero de 2021. En total, la región experimentó 213 días sin Internet y 550 días de conectividad parcial o nula, el cierre más largo en un país democrático en ese momento. Los cortes de Internet durante los disturbios civiles afectan a la capacidad de los ciudadanos para obtener información precisa de las fuentes gubernamentales cuando más la necesitan. También se hace más difícil para los ciudadanos contactar con familiares y amigos en otras partes del país, o en otros países. El impacto de este cierre se vio agravado también por las leyes de permanencia en el hogar COVID-19. Entre agosto de 2019 y julio de 2020, la economía de Cachemira perdió 400.000 millones de rupias y más de 100.000 puestos de trabajo, principalmente en los sectores de la artesanía, el turismo y la tecnología de la información. Los escolares se vieron especialmente perjudicados durante este tiempo, ya que no pudieron participar en el aprendizaje en línea debido a la reducción de la velocidad de Internet. Los investigadores del cambio climático mundial también se vieron afectados, al no poder acceder a datos importantes de la delicada región del Himalaya.    

A militant was killed and a soldier injured in an encounter which ensued during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in Sopore in this north Kashmir district, official sources said. Mobile internet service has been suspended in Sopore as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours.