Lawmakers face rising public intimidation worldwide: report

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Members of parliament are facing a worrying rise in intimidation and harassment from the public, according to a global report released by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on Wednesday.

The report, titled "When the public turns hostile: Political violence against parliamentarians," drew on a survey of 519 lawmakers globally and case studies focused on five countries -- Argentina, Benin, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands -- to reflect diverse political and regional contexts.

Overall, 71 percent of all respondents reported having experienced violence from the public, whether online, offline or both, according to the report.

The report attributed the surge in public hostility to the rise of political polarization, economic and social pressures that fuel frustration, the amplification of anger through social media, and declining trust in public institutions.

With the increase in hostility, many members of parliament report self-censorship, avoid some public appearances, experience negative side effects for their family members, and sometimes quit or decline to run again in elections.

The report called on political and parliamentary leadership to set boundaries when it comes to acceptable public discourse and to ensure that intimidation does not succeed in silencing dissenting and minority voices. ■