kashmir: The two neighbors have fought numerous times over Kashmir, and the region has been the focus of periodic conflict for almost 70 years, according to CNN. In the run-up to the revocation of Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which gave the state of Jammu and Kashmir broad autonomy in setting its own law, except in a limited set of policy areas such as defence and foreign affairs, India sent tens of thousands of additional troops into the state and cut off all internet and phone services. An almost complete communications blackout has been imposed in Indian-controlled Kashmir, after the government in Delhi moved to scrap the region's special status, sparking an angry response from Pakistan. Broadband, mobile internet, text messaging and phone service have all been affected, with residents reduced to digging out old radio sets to tune into the news. A large-scale communication disruption at such a crucial time for Kashmir is an egregious violation of citizens' rights to information from a free press, Aliya Iftikhar, a senior researcher with the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement. Politicians have reportedly been detained, journalists restricted in their reporting and human rights groups have warned of potential abuses due to the lack of international oversight enabled by the communications blackout.
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