COVID-19

What Spreads Faster – a Virus or Fascism?

April 14, 2020

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-ANNA ABRAHAM (MANAGING EDITOR)

The coronavirus pandemic was ushered into the spotlight only about two months after the first occurrence. Along with it came the news of the violation of several human rights of Chinese citizens, (and people worldwide) by the Chinese government’s suppression of information regarding the virus, in the fear of spreading panic. The Communist Party of China detained and censored the doctor who alerted others about the virus, repeatedly claimed there was no human to human contact and endangered the lives of people in and out of Wuhan. However, this suppression of information is not the only human rights violation the CPC is guilty of. China is guilty of forceful quarantine and allegedly underreporting the death toll and containment scenario in the country. China and Israel have developed apps that must be downloaded on smartphones to determine whether a person is eligible to leave the house, a major privacy right violation. Additionally, freedom of the press was hit even harder than usual in China, with the disappearances of journalists critiquing the government. Privacy rights were also hit with the Chinese developing facial recognition systems for masked faces with 90% accuracy to determine who poses a contagion risk and who can be allowed access to the public. This utter disregard for people’s rights has spread just as fast as the virus, worldwide.

The human rights violations in India is a stark reflection of its class divide. The country enforced an arbitrary screening system for international arrivals as well as domestic travel. There were no thermal screening tests at domestic airports even as numerous international tourists arrived at domestic airports via connected domestic flights. In sharp contrast, there is the horrifying case of the migrant labourers in UP who were sprayed with bleach by “overzealous” workers. Transport has also been shut and thousands of migrant labourers in cities have started on foot journeys to their villages, with some succumbing to death. Hunger, exhaustion or infection with the virus seem to be a given end for these migrant labourers. Several have been brutally beaten by cops to reprimand their travel movements. Most evident in the fiasco is the “western idea” of human rights that only seem to pertain to the urban rich while the poor yet again face neglect; because at face value India is socialist and free, but at our grassroots, the discrimination in the provision of rights is evident even in the absence of a pandemic.

The situation of Human Rights deteriorates amidst the Pandemic, as officials spray bleach on Migrant Labourers | Source : Scroll.in

The US, however, has taken a very different approach to the matter. The Lieutenant Governor of Texas has said that some seniors are willing to die to get the economy moving again and POTUS has gone on record to say that he wants the economy to speedily reopen by Easter, bringing us to question whether the economy is more important than human lives. Both received severe backlash, and Trump’s plan has been backtracked. It’s certainly odd for a pro-life party to be making such statements, proving that they’re only pro-life when it’s pro-economy, and their agenda only tends to capitalism.

The President of Belarus has refused to cancel sporting events and encouraged citizens to drink vodka and visit saunas to kill the virus. Donald Trump has called the malaria drug “hydroxychloroquine” a “game changer” in the battle against the coronavirus which has led to a lot of Americans self-medicating, dying or being hospitalised. Fake news, especially coming from those in power is an absurd yet truly dangerous human rights violation which will endanger public health and safety.

One must, however, question how China has reached such a stage where human rights are a farce. China has slowly captured markets worldwide, and due to its large population, it is, in itself, a huge market to capture. Time and again, big names like Dior, NBA, Zara, Givenchy, Coach, GAP, Audi, Mercedes Benz, etc. have apologized to China for political statements made, in fear of losing the Chinese market. Countries too have withheld from critiquing the fascist governance in the country for this same fear. The Uighur Muslim concentration camps stand testament to this. This sheer neglect has allowed China to carry on as it has, and if it were not for the censorship of information, arbitrary arrests of doctors and journalists, we would perhaps not be facing the crisis at hand today. While China has already bid the pandemic a hearty farewell, most countries are only beginning their descent into the gloomy rabbit hole, begging the question, are these same countries not to blame?

China’s rise to World Economy Number One : Is Coronavirus the Key? | Source : RFI

In a human rights sense, what follows is what is worrisome – the rise of dictatorships and consequent human rights abuses. The Hungarian Parliament has allowed the Hungarian President an open-ended right to rule, in lieu of the coronavirus pandemic, and has also introduced jail sentences for the spread of fake news about the virus and the interfering with measures to curb the virus. The European Union is worried Hungary is moving towards a dictatorial future. In Israel, Minister of Justice Amir Ohana stopped all court activities, effectively postponing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial, even before the occurrence of a coronavirus related death. Turkmenistan is avoiding the usage of the word coronavirus in its media and discussion about it can amount to arrest. The country continues to stand firm on the stance that they have no cases. The wearing of face masks can amount to the arrest of a person. The disease has also been scrapped from all health brochures and manuals. While governments require some flexibility to work which would, in turn, lead to a curbing of human rights, they have to be kept in check so they do not overstep. Shutdowns and national emergencies have been declared worldwide but it must not come at the cost of social, political and economic rights. The pandemic that began in China was definitely viral, but it should not turn fascist.

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