Policy Analysis by Joelle El Sheikh, Staff Writer

November 26th, 2020

On March 30, 2020, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban managed to pass a law in parliament that allowed him to rule by decree for an “indefinite amount of time”[1]. In other words, Orban has gained almost unlimited power by the virtue of this law, slowly transforming him into a dictator. The act also included criminalizing the spread of “false” news, a term that is vaguely written and more often than not, false information correlates to any criticism against the ruling party. Orban is known, ever since he came to office in 2010, for his strong grip on freedom of speech and expression. Throughout these 10 years, he has limited the power of the courts, majorly restricted freedom of the press, and changed electoral laws in favor of his party[2].  Similarly, Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi has continuously attempted to blame COVID-19 on Muslims, jailing hundreds of intellectuals, journalists, and dissidents of his anti-Muslim policies. 

The unprecedented spread of COVID-19 has opened many doors for autocrats to tighten their grip on freedom of speech, the right of gathering and protesting, as well as any criticism or dissatisfaction from opposition parties/groups. Extraordinary powers are needed to face extraordinary times, they say. According to the Centre for Civil and Political Rights, around 79 countries have declared a state of emergency to effectively combat the virus-some leaders surrender their power once the emergency comes to an end, others plan to grab on even further[3]. 

China’s ruling party, the Chinese Communist party, has managed to control the pandemic amidst claims that the government initially under-reported the numbers of cases and deaths last year. According to Human Rights Watch, when doctors in Wuhan tried to warn the government in December about the new coronavirus, authorities silenced and reprimanded them. Instead, the virus was left to spread as millions of travelers went in and out of China, until it spread across the world. Since then, Beijing has increased the use of surveillance technology to “monitor its citizens…phone apps track people's movements, and color-coding restricts access to certain areas and venues for those who might have been exposed to COVID-19.”[4] While these measures seem reasonable during a crisis as dangerous as this one, they pose a risk to civil liberties if they were to remain in place permanently. Additionally, China has arrested thousands of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, and the timing could not have been more planned. According to Rob Malley of the International Crisis Group, “Dictators and others may think there’s no better time to take repressive measures.” 

Human Rights Watch also reports that in countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Venezuela, Bangladesh, and Turkey, the crackdown on journalists, opposition activists, and even healthcare workers who criticize the governments ineffectiveness have reached a new high. Cambodia’s emergency law, for example, gives the government the power to take any “measures that are deemed appropriate”[5]. This, for them, translates to censoring social media accounts, seizing property, and declaring martial law. Hun Sen, the Cambodian Prime Minister, has been given the power to act freely with no real oversight. 

This not certainly not to say that limiting some freedoms in times of crises is wrong-on the contrary, respecting social distancing rules and mandatory mask-wearing are a must. However, and while restricting large gatherings are a measure to limit the virus, it is also used to crush protests all around the world. According to the Economist, India’s lockdown has squashed nationwide rallies against the government’s mistreatment of Muslims. In Russia individual protesters against Mr. Putin have been arrested. Moreover, the Algerian government ceased regular protests that have taken place for little over a year seeking democratic reform. 

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Gen Prayut Chan-ocha, declared a state of emergency to fight the virus on March 26, 2020. However, according to Brad Adams, executive director of the Asian division at Human Rights Watch, “Thai authorities seem intent on shutting down critical opinions from the media and general public about their response to the COVID-19 crisis…the Emergency Decree provides the government a free hand to censor free speech.” Danai Ussama, the owner of an art gallery in Phuket, Thailand, was arrested March 23 and taken to the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok. There, he was informed that he violated section 14 (2) of the Computer-Related Crime Act for “putting into a computer system false computer data in a manner that is likely to cause panic in the public.”[6] Ussama faces up to 5 years in prison and a THB100, 000 (US$3,050) if found guilty.

Just like the “war on terror” was used to justify long-lasting inflictions and limitations on civil liberties; today, the fight against Coronavirus disease threatens the legitimacy of democratic rule. According to international human rights law, restrictions on freedom on times of crises are permitted; however, we must remain careful of those leaders who use public health as an excuse to further their own political ends and grab onto more power. They are risking our health, our democracy, and our future. 

[1] https://thehill.com/opinion/international/494464-how-autocrats-are-using-the-coronavirus-to-grab-more-power

[2] https://thehill.com/opinion/international/494464-how-autocrats-are-using-the-coronavirus-to-grab-more-power

[3] https://www.economist.com/international/2020/04/23/would-be-autocrats-are-using-covid-19-as-an-excuse-to-grab-more-power

[4] https://thehill.com/opinion/international/494464-how-autocrats-are-using-the-coronavirus-to-grab-more-power

[5] https://www.economist.com/international/2020/04/23/would-be-autocrats-are-using-covid-19-as-an-excuse-to-grab-more-power

[6] https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/25/thailand-covid-19-clampdown-free-speech