Fermeture d'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.

Les services d'Internet, de téléphonie mobile et de téléphonie fixe ont été fermés pour des durées variables au Jammu-et-Cachemire entre le 5 août 2019 et le 5 février 2021, afin de limiter les réactions négatives lors de l'examen du statut spécial de l'État en vertu de l'article 370. Les lignes terrestres ont été autorisées à partir du 18 août 2019. Les services mobiles postpayés ont été autorisés à partir du 14 octobre 2019. Les services à large bande à des fins essentielles ont été rétablis le 15 janvier 2020. Les services 4G ont été rétablis le 5 février 2021. Au total, la région a connu 213 jours d'absence d'Internet et 550 jours de connectivité partielle ou inexistante, soit la plus longue fermeture dans un pays démocratique à l'époque. Les coupures d'Internet pendant les troubles civils ont un impact sur la capacité des citoyens à obtenir des informations exactes de la part des sources gouvernementales lorsqu'ils en ont le plus besoin. Il devient également plus difficile pour les citoyens de contacter des membres de leur famille et des amis dans d'autres parties du pays, ou dans d'autres pays. L'impact de cette fermeture a également été aggravé par les lois COVID-19 sur le maintien à domicile. Entre août 2019 et juillet 2020, l'économie du Cachemire a perdu 400 000 millions d'INR et plus de 100 000 emplois, principalement dans les secteurs de l'artisanat, du tourisme et des technologies de l'information. Les écoliers ont été particulièrement gênés pendant cette période, car ils n'ont pas pu participer à l'apprentissage en ligne en raison de la réduction des débits Internet. Les chercheurs sur le changement climatique mondial ont également été touchés, car ils n'ont pas pu accéder aux données importantes de la région sensible de l'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.