oh, hello guys, this is the 77 percent the platform with, you know, or this channel. we are not afraid to happen. delicate topic. africa population is with the young people clearly have the solution. the future, you know, a 77 percent now every weekend on d. w you watching d w news asia coming up a mystery phone app with a vicious purpose targeting prominent muslim women in india as part of an online harassment campaign. plus journalists in the volatile region of kashmir,

face police intimidation and threats. we look at accusations that india's hindu nationalist government is trying to silence them. ah, i melissa chan, thanks for joining us for the 2nd time in recent months in online ab appeared in india, targeting well known muslim women listing them as women for sale as part of an auction. the misogynistic harassment campaign, targeted journalists, activists, academics and others on social media. other women responded with outrage and horror . journalist runa, are you tweeted, quote, hindu nationalists are trying to silence the voice of muslim resistance in india. but we cannot be silenced. for m a con says she's tired of being quote, exotic sized, demonized,

and patronized all at once. and zebb oversee writes. it's infuriating that this shameful crime happened again in india. it is because the last time it went on punished we have journalists, deborah virus, see from that last tweet with us. thanks for joining the program. thank you for having me. the listen. can you tell us how you felt when you 1st learned that you are on this app? well, you know, just to give you some context, i woke up on your usb and you know, you've filled with hope and anticipation and generally a very positive day to begin with. and that's when i saw a bunch of messages from my friends and colleagues from india. that's my picture. and you know, my name is on that list. and my 1st taught this restoration and anger i was, i was really furious. and also i was shocked. the fact that it's happened again,

this is not the 1st time that a website like this a feel website like this had of seek online auction of mr. women in india and the last time around when it happened. it was less than a year ago, and there was no concrete action that was taken. there was, the investigation is still under way, but no person has been arrested in the previous case. which is why the, the, the sort of enjoy impunity to do it again. so my 1st thoughts were, i'm go and, you know, really upset and sort of helpless that it's happening again to not just me, but so many other listening women in the country. why do you think this is happening? well, this is adrian batten, a few really good. see that we're down 100 prominent in didn't listen women this time with that data list and all of these women there's one common thread. the

muslim did journalist activists, politicians, they basically active in the social space in india, they're walker, they walk all about issues in the country. they walker, specifically about the right thing in florida, will be at the country about, you know, increasing instances of heat crime against the mostly minority and the critical of prime minister in the mood. these policies, especially the ones which are discriminatory and the ones which have created an uproar in the recent years. so that's the common thread. so if you are listening voice, if you are a woman and whistler voice in this country, you will become a soft target. you also become a target for a certain group of individuals who i am voided by the hindu, right twain, who also enjoy political patronage in this country. and you know this, this sort of ethnic still, and this big tree in the deal is on the rise. and that's why this is happening.

it's very, very clear why these women are on the list. it's very clear why we was specifically targeted. it is in a patriarchal society like india, if you want to target the community, you target the women that's, that's exactly what's being done here. and water based, shut them into silence. now this time the government says they're investigating and we're seeing some arrests. do you have confidence, they'll track down all the prep perpetrators and that this time it won't happen again. well, it is certainly reassuring that after a note of outrage, this time around, we do see some sort of action being taken that have been for people have been arrested for young people have been arrested in the case so far and the investigation is proceeding in one bye and your deli, but this has happened only after nationwide outreach, and this has happened because they were questions, at least about the last or about the inaction in the previous instance. so yes,

it feels better, but i, we shouldn't have to demand action in such a case. i think it's the basic joe or the law enforcement agency and the government to make us feel safe, whether it is from online threads or online boulevard. in this case, targeted attacks or, or threats offline as well. table varsity, thank you so much for sharing with us. thank you, melissa. ah, journalist based an indian administered kashmir have reported a rise in threats and intimidation tactics since the movie government brought the region under its direct control in 2019. this is being seen as a way of clamping down on criticism of prime minister to render modi's hindu nationalist government since delhi revoke the autonomy of indian administered kashmir in august 2019 threats of arrest detention. and the intimidation of

journalists have risen to a new level the amount of fear and uncertainty, the uncertainty that journalists are right now face is, is alarming levels. and it's very difficult right now for reporters to report stories underground. i mean, they can, we did, houses can be dated. we had a decent example of the police leading the premises and the house premises of one of the senior most journalists in cash meet 4 of them actually, and who were targeted for their forts. and you know, they were accused of the charges of getting in, of being involved in data related crimes, to crack down as seen as an attempt to silence criticism of the hindu nationalist government. some journalists have been arrested under anti terror laws. india ranks 100 and 42nd in the latest world press freedom index. that is the lack of

accountability with which this kind of these kind of accent actions that happening against journalists. we have seen journalists being looked in catalog. we haven't seem to be booked in british. we have seen them. we looked in daily, more often and kush meet, the biggest casualty of dis, crackdown has been the local press reporter. i gotcha. son recently made a troubling discovery. i recently did an investigation on how digital archives of newspapers and cuss me are being raised deliberately. they are saying categorically that it's because of the pressure from the government that they are forced to if they've delete the digital archive, this is the hardwood of yourself. journalism by the report, us local reporters especially who have reported this conflict with unmatched death, local press. it started replacing stories, critical of the indian government with official press releases under nonsense

because really newspaper has done into government mouthpiece. it's because of the media policy. as i said already, that you have to get the news releases, you have to get the press release or government it's, you've meant gorman development in your newspaper, rather than the important news. some reporters are deciding to leave journalism altogether. it is affecting my mental health. it's actually making me feel, making me think whether i should pursue journalism. because, i mean, it's not always about me. also i bought my paid in whenever something like this happens so do becomes quite big. they are actually all that eat about. i mean, it's really difficult for women, john, investors to work in such an android. and so yeah, i think it is being me and it has made me self. instead a lot journalist to try to engage with authorities to end the escalation crackdown

on media. but there's no sign of the pressure easing. joining us as daniel by star head of the asia pacific desk at reporters without borders. welcome to the program . hi melissa. so what are you hearing from journalists in kashmir, about their ability to do their jobs? well, things have been kind of frozen in kashmir, as you may know, 2 and a half years ago. the central government in yet decided to cancel the ultimately the autonomy of the territory. and since then, journalists have a very hard time just to perform their job. the some areas are totally blocked to their, to their reporting. and they, yeah, there are many areas that cannot access. and mostly there are subject to a ref, month from the, from the local government. and more specifically from the paramilitary troops that

are that are based in kashmir. can't the indian government responded to any of the criticism? no, no, to my knowledge, the indian government just say that things are not going smoothly and kashmir. had a talk with the minute 3 of the information and good guessing one year ago. and i asked him about his position on me and you just told me that that everything he's doing fine, the government is taking care of for us. we don't get me, which is totally different from what jill nissan grand kashmir are telling me is what are they are telling me that they are subject to arrest man, which means being a radio at their home are being rated the media and being rated and even some journal is swaby, the broad down me that their family back home in kashmir,

have to face pressure from, from the authorities in and depend on our emulators. and so the indian government is saying everything is fine and kashmir, but let's look beyond that and say, look at the rest of the country. india is now ranked 100 and 42nd in the world. press freedom, the index report at. so why is that the case with this situation beyond kashmir? i would say that there are 2 tendencies, wanton and see is the danger, very physical danger that don't have to face media. and that's not really new. i mean, that's not something that, that the new government created for last year of the early 2021. there has been fortunately, we're working because of their work in india. so that's a very big problem. the fact that journalist who investigates, let's say a sand map activities or alcohol trafficking thing that i have

to face a threats and death. the other aspect is very strongly influenced by the government. the current government is having on media houses and the fact that many journalists have to believe that they have to self center themselves because their media house would not be okay with them criticizing too much the government. and that's very worrying daniel best i thank you so much for joining us. we really appreciate it. that's it for thursday. thanks so much for watching. goodbye lou. these places in europe are smashing in the records, stepped into a bold adventure. it's the treasure map for modern globetrotters. discover some

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full impact could be ever grant continues to crumble the debt ridden property developer is asking to delay bond payments after a rough start to 2022. and the world's biggest consumer electronics show is in full flow. we'll get the latest from c s in las vegas. this is day to be a business on robots in berlin. welcome to the program. it's spread seems unstoppable. the army cron variance of corona virus has driven france to report europe's highest, ever daily number of cave in 19 cases over 330001 wednesday in the countries where it is the most prevalent, never before seen numbers of workers are either off sick or in self isolation, micron is testing public services to their limits for britain's recent spike in oma car.