Myanmar has had Internet access since 2000, when the first connections were made. However, throughout the military regime, strong efforts were made to restrict and regulate internet access through software-based censorship, infrastructural and technological limits, and laws and regulations imposing high fines and severe jail terms on offenders.
While Myanmar’s Internet situation has improved significantly since its launch in 2010 and the subsequent lessening of censorship in 2011, rules such as the 2013 Telecommunications Law continue to limit residents’ online freedom.
Re-censorship after the 2021 coup
Following the coup d’état in Myanmar in 2021, internet access was restricted every day between 1:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. The governing junta also prohibited social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Wikipedia and its connected sister projects, foreign and local media, and websites of anti-coup groups (including the CRPH).
Due to the continuous conflict between the military and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the junta decided to disable mobile internet access on March 15, 2021, and all internet access on March 18, 2021.
2021 Myanmar protests
Protests in Myanmar, called the Spring Revolution, started in early 2021 in response to Min Aung Hlaing’s February 1 coup d’état as commander-in-chief of the country’s military forces, the Tatmadaw. As of May 23, 2021, military or police forces have murdered at least 818 protesters and bystanders, including at least 44 children, and imprisoned at least 4,296 others.
The commanding officers of the coup implemented a variety of actions in response to the increasing protest movement. These include internet and social media blackouts, a mainstream media blackout, the pursuit of arrests and criminal convictions against protesters, the spread of disinformation and political overtures.
Military Bans Censorship Bypass
Myanmar’s military government officially prohibited the use of Internet censorship circumvention techniques; Myanmar’s ISPs blacklisted several bypass and proxy websites but were unable to stop all circumvention methods such as VPN.
VPNs have remained the go-to solution for those who are subjected to Internet restrictions in certain nations, but have recently been outlawed by the Myanmar government (Link to article). Although you may still be able to use VPNs such as Unseen Online Unlimited VPN – our free VPN service, you may be risking breaking the law in Myanmar.Â
