UN ‘dismayed’ at India arrests, NGO restrictions

GENEVA: UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet voiced her dismay on Tuesday at the arrest of activists in India and restrictions to the work of non-governmental organisations.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights appealed to New Delhi to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders and NGOs. Bachelet regretted what she called the application of vaguely worded laws that constrain NGOs’ activities and restrict foreign funding.

"India has long had a strong civil society, which has been at the forefront of groundbreaking human rights advocacy," the former Chilean president said.