ABC points to India ‘pressure’, ‘confidential’ order as YouTube blocks its video on Nijjar killing

YouTube has blocked two videos by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation linked to the killing of a Sikh separatist for viewers in India.

These include a Foreign Correspondent episode about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada as well as a news package on a report about Australian intelligence agents meeting Sikh activists in Australia over the incident.

In an article on its website, ABC said access to the videos was blocked on the basis of a demand from the Indian government. The network said that YouTube claimed that its order was “confidential” but that it came under India’s Information Technology Act.

ABC also claimed that its crew “faced pressure” from Indian authorities during Foreign Correspondent’s investigation for the episode. “They were questioned by Indian criminal intelligence officials about the nature of the reporting and were blocked from filming a public event in Punjab…It was meticulously researched and balanced and sought an array of perspectives, and upholds the highest editorial standards.”

“In an email sent to the ABC on Sunday, YouTube said it had received an order from India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) over the upload of Sikhs, Spies and Murder: Investigating India's alleged hit on foreign soil. The episode reported on the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year. The incident was at the centre of a major global dispute after the Canadian government accused Indian government agents of having a hand in his murder.

“As well as the Foreign Correspondent episode, YouTube said it was directed to block a news package on a story about ASIO agents meeting with Sikh activists in Australia regarding Mr Nijjar's death. The blocking of the YouTube videos comes just weeks out from the start of India's general election, where incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be seeking a third consecutive term,” the network claimed.

Meanwhile, the Australian media association Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, or MEAA, said it was “alarmed by efforts to suppress the work of ABC journalists in India”.

“This week’s Foreign Correspondent episode delivered insightful, on-the-ground reporting, on a topic of global interest. It was public interest journalism without fear or favour. It should not have been removed from YouTube or social media platforms. We stand with our colleagues and applaud their commitment to covering a diverse range of stories from the region.

“We condemn the intimidation of journalists by Indian authorities and note broader concerns about the decline of press freedom across the country. Ahead of national elections in the world’s largest democracy, journalists must be safe to do their work. We urge the Indian government to restore the ABC’s reporting to all platforms. We commend ABC management for standing with their journalists and urge them to continue to do so.”

Last month, Newslaundry had reported on yet another instance pointing to opaque content takedowns in India. The Caravan was told to remove a piece under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act and its rules. The article pertained to the alleged torture and deaths of villagers in Jammu and Kashmir at the hands of the Army.

But opacity surrounded the order, the reasons therein, and on whose complaint it was issued. Read this for details.