India using anti-money laundering rules to 'silence critics': Amnesty

Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="School students walk next to a paper mosaic depicting Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on the occasion of Martyr" s="" marking="" his="" death="" anniversary="" at="" Egmore="" Museum="" in="" India="" January="" Day="" is="" observed="" annually="" on="" to="" commemorate="" the="" of="" father="" Mahatma="" who="" was="" assassinated="" by="" Nathuram="" Vinayak="" Godse="" The="" day="" as="" a="" peace="" and="" non-violence.="" EPA-EFE="" IDREES="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/overseas/06/07/20230607-mosaic-gandhi-epa.jpg"/><figcaption>School students walk next to a paper mosaic depicting Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on the occasion of Martyr&#x27;s Day, marking his 75th death anniversary at Egmore Museum in Chennai, India 30 January 2023. Martyr&#x27;s Day is observed annually on 30 January in India to commemorate the death of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated by Nathuram Vinayak Godse on 30 January 1948. The day is observed as a day of peace and non-violence. EPA-EFE/IDREES MOHAMMED, file</figcaption></figure></div>NEW DELHI — India is exploiting recommendations by a global money-laundering watchdog as a &quot;draconian&quot; tool to shutter civil society groups and suppress activists and critics, Amnesty International said Wednesday.Government critics within civil society organizations and the media have long complained of harassment in the world&#x27;s biggest democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#x27;s Hindu-nationalist administration, a charge it strenuously denies.Amnesty said the recommendations of the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) were being abused to bring in &quot;draconian laws to stifle the non-profit sector&quot; and block organizations from funding.The 39-nation FATF, of which India has been a member since 2010, is mandated to tackle global money laundering and terrorist financing.Critics say Modi&#x27;s government has sought to pressure rights groups by heavily scrutinizing their finances and clamping down on foreign funding.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/07/23/india-history-books-rewritten-by-government">India: History books rewritten by government</a></li></ul>&quot;Under the guise of combatting terrorism, the Indian government has leveraged the Financial Action Task Force&#x27;s recommendations to tighten its arsenal of financial and counter-terrorism laws which are routinely misused to target and silence critics,&quot; Amnesty International India chair Aakar Patel said in a statement.In the last 10 years, India has cancelled the licenses of more than 20,600 non-governmental organizations, with nearly 6,000 of these taking place since 2022, the report said.In 2020, Amnesty International had to suspend its Indian operations after its bank accounts were frozen.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/17/23/will-foreign-universities-succeed-in-india">Will foreign universities succeed in India?</a></li></ul>The Indian government defended its move, accusing Amnesty of &quot;illegal practices&quot; involving the transfer of &quot;large amounts of money&quot; from Amnesty UK to India.Journalists critical of the government also complain of increased harassment, both on social media — where Modi&#x27;s ruling party has a powerful presence — and in the real world.<div> © Agence France-Presse</div>

The 39-nation FATF, of which India has been a member since 2010, is mandated to tackle global money laundering and terrorist financing.

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India using anti-money laundering rules to 'silence critics': Amnesty

India using anti-money laundering rules to 'silence critics': Amnesty

Agence France-Presse

Published Sep 27, 2023 09:06 AM PHT

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India

Financial Action Task Force

amnesty international

money laundering

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