Irrawaddy-Oct 5
Myanmar ranked as the world’s second most repressive environment for internet freedom in the world, according to an annual report released on Wednesday by Freedom House. Only China is worse and Iran is third on the list. Since the coup in February 2021, the junta has consistently targeted online platforms and social media channels by imposing internet shutdowns, blocking access to social media platforms like Facebook, imposing restrictions on virtual private networks (VPNs) that can bypass internet censorship), and conducting online surveillance to control and monitor online activities. Washington-based Freedom House said Myanmar’s military has tightened its harsh digital control over the country since the 2021 coup, and arrested people for simply expressing dissent online. “Under military rule since a 2021 coup, the country’s internet users continued to express support for the democratic resistance movement or grief for the victims of the junta’s violence, all at great personal risk to themselves,” the report said. Scores of internet users were imprisoned for their online activities during the coverage report’s coverage period: June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023. Military courts issued multiyear prison sentences and carried out executions in some cases, the report noted. “In the most egregious case from the coverage period, the military executed prominent activist Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy, in July 2022, after arresting him for pro-democracy social media posts,” it said.
Ko Jimmy, a former National League for Democracy lawmaker, and two others were executed in July of last year for anti-regime activities. Read more at:
