Why is Myanmar’s military blocking the internet?
Al Jazeera
Generals have banned Facebook and other popular platforms and imposed an internet blackout for the past 18 nights.
Yangon, Myanmar – Hours after the Myanmar military seized power in a coup on February 1, it cut the internet. The blackout stalled the spread of information, as people in Myanmar and around the world slowly learned that the military had declared a one-year state of emergency and overthrown the civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Far from an emergency measure, however, internet restrictions have become a hallmark of the generals’ short tenure in power. Every night for more than two weeks, the military has imposed an internet blackout from 1am (18:30 GMT) to 9am (02:30 GMT) across the country. At the same time, it has also moved to grant itself sweeping powers to censor and arrest online dissenters. The regime has also banned access to websites, including popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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