Kathmandu, June 26
Recently, Body and Data, an organisation that advocates and campaigns for safe digital space, launched the South Asians for Digital Rights (SADR) Coalition, a first-of-its-kind regional alliance of civil society organisations and digital rights defenders from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
“We are united in our commitment to freedom, dignity, justice, and equity in one of the world’s most digitally dynamic and politically complex regions. Our vision is clear: a free, open, and rights-respecting digital future for South Asia,” read the release by Body and Data.
South Asia is home to over a quarter of the world’s population and has witnessed remarkable digital growth. But alongside this innovation, there has been a sharp escalation in digital repression: in 2024 alone, the region witnessed 111 instances of internet shutdowns. Censorship, criminalisation of online speech, invasive surveillance, opaque algorithms, and regressive laws have intensified. Recent legislative developments, including India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, Pakistan’s expanded cybercrime law (PECA), and Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Act, reveal how governments are codifying control over digital spaces under the pretext of security and public order. While each country’s context is distinct, these threats are not contained by borders.
The release states, “When a journalist is jailed for a tweet, when biometric surveillance becomes normalised, or when internet access is denied, it sets a precedent that others often follow. That is why we must resist together.”
The SADR Coalition is the region’s collective response to this shared crisis, which brings together digital rights advocates, litigators, researchers, policy experts, and grassroots organisers into a coordinated, cross-border alliance. Through this platform, Body and Data aim to align strategies, build sustained collaboration, share knowledge, and speak with a united voice on digital rights challenges affecting billions.
According to the release, through this coalition, the organization will strengthen mutual efforts and build collective power through solidarity, advocate for rights-based digital governance at national, regional, and international levels and promote South Asian leadership in global digital rights and technology governance conversations.
