{ "title": "Ladder: shutdowns and blocking, in Asia", "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/shutdowns_and_blocking?continent=asia", "filters": { "continent": "asia" }, "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.", "tactic": { "slug": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "name": "Shutdowns and blocking", "definition": "A government cuts internet or mobile telephone service, blocks news websites or social media platforms, or jams radio and television signals, so that audiences cannot receive news and reporters cannot send it out.", "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/shutdowns_and_blocking" }, "focal_case": "US", "count": 6, "stages": [ { "stage": "punish", "name": "Punish", "definition": "Legal or physical action against individual journalists or sources: subpoenas and record seizures, prosecutions, arrests, detention, expulsions, visa denials, assault where a government actor is involved.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "2009-iran-post-election-foreign-press-restrictions", "title": "Iran expels a BBC correspondent and restricts foreign journalists after a disputed 2009 election", "occurred_on": "2009-06-21", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "punish", "focal_case": false, "country": "IR", "country_name": "Iran", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 177, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "mahmoud-ahmadinejad", "leader_name": "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad", "what_was_done": "After Iran's disputed June 2009 presidential election produced mass protests, the government expelled BBC correspondent Jon Leyne, revoked foreign press credentials, confined most foreign journalists to office-based reporting, and blocked access to numerous websites.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "The sources reviewed do not establish when Iran lifted the specific 2009 restrictions on foreign correspondents covering the post-election protests.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "expulsion_and_visa_denial", "tactics": [ "expulsion_and_visa_denial", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2009-iran-post-election-foreign-press-restrictions" } ] }, { "stage": "silence", "name": "Silence", "definition": "Removing outlets or channels from the public sphere: closures, licence withdrawals, forced sales, blocking and shutdowns, prior restraint, nationalisation.", "rungs": [ { "slug": "1972-philippines-marcos-martial-law-media-closures", "title": "Philippines President Marcos closes every major news outlet under martial law", "occurred_on": "1972-09-21", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "PH", "country_name": "Philippines", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 114, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 114th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "ferdinand-marcos", "leader_name": "Ferdinand Marcos", "what_was_done": "President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, and the next day ordered the military to take over nearly every newspaper, radio and television station in the Philippines, jailing prominent publishers and editors and requiring government clearance for whatever remained.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "1986-02-25", "outcome_note": "Marcos was removed from power in the People Power Revolution of February 22-25, 1986, ending martial-law controls on the Philippine press.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "detention_and_violence", "prior_restraint", "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1972-philippines-marcos-martial-law-media-closures" }, { "slug": "2019-india-kashmir-communications-blackout", "title": "India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special status", "occurred_on": "2019-08-05", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "IN", "country_name": "India", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 157, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "narendra-modi", "leader_name": "Narendra Modi", "what_was_done": "As it revoked Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional autonomy, India's government cut broadband, mobile internet, text messaging and phone service across the region, leaving local journalists unable to file stories, verify information or communicate with sources for months.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": "2020-08-05", "outcome_note": "High-speed mobile internet remained restricted into 2020; the International Federation of Journalists reported the blackout as still affecting journalists' work a full year after it began.", "ladder_note": null, "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-india-kashmir-communications-blackout" }, { "slug": "2019-iran-nationwide-internet-shutdown", "title": "Iran: near-total internet shutdown during fuel-price protests", "occurred_on": "2019-11-16", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "IR", "country_name": "Iran", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 177, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "hassan-rouhani", "leader_name": "Hassan Rouhani", "what_was_done": "Iran cut internet connectivity to about five percent of normal levels nationwide for nearly a week during protests over fuel prices, while arresting at least eleven journalists, including one detained for reporting on the shutdown itself.", "outcome": "reversed", "outcome_on": "2019-11-23", "outcome_note": "Internet connectivity was restored after roughly a week, according to the source reviewed, though the underlying criminal cases against arrested journalists continued.", "ladder_note": "Iran cut internet connectivity to about five percent of normal nationwide for nearly a week and arrested a journalist for reporting on the shutdown itself; no United States action in the record has cut off nationwide communications.", "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2019-iran-nationwide-internet-shutdown" }, { "slug": "2021-myanmar-military-internet-shutdown", "title": "Myanmar: military cuts mobile internet after seizing power", "occurred_on": "2021-02-01", "occurred_on_precision": "month", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "MM", "country_name": "Myanmar", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 166, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "min-aung-hlaing", "leader_name": "Min Aung Hlaing", "what_was_done": "After seizing power on February 1, 2021, Myanmar's military cut mobile data service nationwide, leaving reporters in rural townships and Rakhine State unable to send news and blocking large areas from outside communication for months.", "outcome": "ongoing", "outcome_on": "2021-05-03", "outcome_note": "As of the May 2021 source, mobile data remained cut in parts of the country, including large areas of Rakhine State.", "ladder_note": "Myanmar's military cut mobile data nationwide after seizing power, leaving reporters in entire townships unable to file; United States funding and access actions have not shut off a region's communications.", "sources_count": 3, "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2021-myanmar-military-internet-shutdown" }, { "slug": "2023-india-blocks-gaon-savera-accounts", "title": "India: Gaon Savera's Facebook and X accounts blocked", "occurred_on": "2023-08-21", "occurred_on_precision": "day", "stage": "silence", "focal_case": false, "country": "IN", "country_name": "India", "continent": "asia", "rsf": { "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index", "year": 2026, "rank": 157, "of": 180, "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180", "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index" }, "leader_slug": "narendra-modi", "leader_name": "Narendra Modi", "what_was_done": "India blocked independent news outlet Gaon Savera's Facebook page and X account nationwide just before a workers' convention it planned to cover, without a public explanation from the government.", "outcome": "unknown", "outcome_on": null, "outcome_note": "CPJ called on India to restore access; the source reviewed does not report whether the accounts were later unblocked.", "ladder_note": "India blocked an independent outlet's Facebook and X accounts nationwide ahead of an event it planned to cover, without a stated reason; the White House ban limited three outlets' building access, not their reach online.", "sources_count": 2, "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking", "tactics": [ "shutdowns_and_blocking" ], "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-india-blocks-gaon-savera-accounts" } ] } ], "downloads": { "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/shutdowns_and_blocking?continent=asia&format=csv", "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/shutdowns_and_blocking.json?continent=asia", "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/shutdowns_and_blocking.md?continent=asia" }, "license": { "name": "CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" } }