Exploited COVID Measures

As we are currently living in the world of COVID, all that we think about is likely to be confirmed cases, the vaccines, the negative impacts of Covid-19 on our daily lives, and the new COVID-measures such as traveling restrictions and/or lockdowns, etc. It can fairly be said that most news and reports concerning the new novel are confined within the aforementioned.

While the world's attention has been caught by the new novel and its consequences on the wellbeing, economies, environment, and international relationships, some governments have used COVID-restrictions to settle a score. The purposes behind such agendas, of course, are varied from undermining human rights to exiling counterparts.

In China, for instance, the Chinese government prefers to be the only informative source publishing information about COVID-19. Therefore, they have taken every step possible to eliminate other sources as these were considered unreliable. In February 2020, it was reported that a few active Chinese journalists, who traced information and wrote reports concerning official misleading COVID-news published by the government, had just disappeared with no clue where they were taken or how they were treated. The government of China has gone even further by issuing a new law that has given Chinese jurisdiction an upper hand over the jurisdiction of Hong Kong. It has been said that such a move by the Chinese would tighten freedom of expression in the city of Hong Kong. It is thought that the Chinese move towards Hong Kong would not have been in place as fast as it had happened if the world's attention was not distracted by COVID-19.

Likewise, the Ugandan government has conducted aggressive steps towards its prominent opposition candidate, Mr. Wine. Broadly, the opposition is to confront the ruling party with the insufficient decisions taken under their watch. In Uganda, particularly during COVID-time, the government felt threatened by Mr. Wine as he led the opposition to counter the government misuse of COVID-restrictions in order to strengthen their position and grip over the country. Therefore, Mr. Wine was jailed by the Ugandan government and was accused of holding a massive gathering which violated Covid-restrictions and guidelines.

The same abuse has also been exploited by the Turkish government. A recent report was published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealing that the government of Turkey exploited awfully COVID-restrictions to eliminate opposite views. It can be said that while the world was preoccupied with the invasion of Covid-19, some governments found this distraction a chance that would probably happen once in a blue moon, and therefore, they took every possible step to achieve their political goals at expense of their people. China, Uganda, and Turkey are just examples of a floodgate of misuse and exploitation of COVID-measures.

Governments should be lined with their people fighting the pandemic and increasing the capacity of their health-care system. Whereas the examples show that some governments are concerned only about consolidating power or strengthening position, or maybe both.