Dear Twitter, the suspension of StandwithKashmir’s account is unacceptable!

Since 2 March 2021, the Twitter account for the Kashmiri diaspora-led solidarity organization, StandwithKashmir, a registered 501c3 in the United States, as well as other accounts of Kashmiri activists, individuals, and organizations, have been suspended.

StandwithKashmir is a well-respected organization of academics, journalists, lawyers, and young professionals that calls on the international community to deliver its promise of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and raises awareness of India’s human rights abuses in Kashmir, which are well documented by international human rights groups as well as the United Nations.

This suspension follows the Indian state’s recent attempts to control what content is shared on social media platforms.

The state has passed new regulations that require social media platforms to remove content authorities deem ‘unlawful’, so that the BJP government can ensure its propaganda and anti-Muslim rhetoric around Kashmir is the only information Indian citizens are consuming.

This is a gross violation of free speech in what is often touted as the “world’s largest democracy.”

However, Twitter’s suspension impacts users beyond India: how can Twitter allow the Indian government to dictate what accounts can be accessible internationally, especially to those of us in the US?

Twitter’s appeasement of the Indian government has dire consequences for access to information in an authoritarian age, as well as the reach of authoritarian governments.

The Indian state continues to severely suppress the freedom of press, expression, and access to information in Kashmir. Journalists are being imprisoned and harrassed for providing critical information on human rights abuses in Kashmir. Activists, academics, allies, and lawmakers look towards organizations and channels like StandwithKashmir to provide verified and current information about what is happening in Kashmir. Additionally, StandwithKashmir keeps the Kashmiri diaspora updated on the momentous changes impacting a region they are connected to, and have families in, during a time where there is little to no news leaving Kashmir.

We, the undersigned, demand the following:

• The immediate restoration of StandwithKashmir’s Twitter account so they can continue their advocacy work. Given that StandwithKashmir is a registered 501c3 organization in the US, it deserves to be verified so mass reporting by Indian fascist mobs can be prevented.
• The establishment of protocols where mass reporting is investigated prior to suspension, towards promoting a safe environment for advocacy efforts across the globe.
• Twitter claims to be a collaborative platform for people from all beliefs and ideologies, so it’s time it acts upon its mission and stops facilitating digital fascism that the Indian state is a pioneer in.