Impact on Internet Freedoms On 1 February 2021, the first day of the coup, the Tatmadaw imposed internet shutdowns across major cities such as Naypyidaw, Yangon, and Mandalay. Using Section 77 of the country’s Telecommunications Law (2013), the military junta compelled Telcos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Telenor Myanmar, Ooredoo Myanmar, Myanmar Posts and Telecommunication (MPT), MyTel, Welink, 5BB and Frontiir to adhere to their demands of service disruption. Section 77 gives the government the authority to direct ISPs to “suspend a telecommunication service or restrict specific forms of communication” on the occurrence of public emergency (Telecommunications Law, 2013). NetBlocks revealed that the internet disruptions from 1 February to 7 February led to below-average connectivity, 50% to 75% lower than ordinary levels (Netblocks, 2021). Spotlight : Myanmar's Internet Infrastructure Internet Speed Internet download speeds are an average of 58 MBps, compared to the worldwide average of 81MBps. Internet Usage Internet usage is increasing rapidly, from 11% of the 52.2 million population in 2014 to 43% of 54.7 million people in 2021. Cable Network Myanmar is connected through a cable network of inland and submarine cables, tying China, Southeast Asia and South Asia together. Urban Concentration Most of the infrastructure is centered around the regions of Yangon and Mandalay. Starting from 3 February, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) issued instructions to telecommunication operators to block access to social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, citing this as a necessity to guarantee public security (Telenor, 2021). On 18 February, all language editions of Wikipedia, Wikimedia, and Wikidata were blocked to ban the use of certain words describing the events of the coup d'état and pro-democracy movements. Such restrictions also prevented an ‘edit-war’ of online articles on those platforms, particularly in relation to General Min Aung Hlaing’s biography page (Netblocks, 2021). While termination of access to social media platforms and denying access to critical content had been executed in the first two weeks of the coup, by mid-February 2021, the military junta had changed their tactics to impose total internet blackouts instead. From 15 February, the MOTC imposed a nationwide internet curfew from 1 AM to 9 AM during which connectivity was between 14%-15% of ordinary levels. On 15 March 2021, control over online communication was intensified again as the MOTC disabled mobile data nationwide. From 15 March, at 7 PM every night, letters ordering internet shutdowns and a daily list of banned Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) would be sent to telecommunication companies (Myanmar Now, 2021). On 18 March, publicly available WiFi networks faced disruptions. On 23 March, the military junta reaffirmed their intention of keeping internet use under strict control, citing violence and unrest being encouraged online. The junta also blamed the media for fanning the nationwide protests. After a long period of 72 nights of Internet curfews, the military rescinded the order on 28 April and broadband internet was allowed to operate as usual (Netblocks, 2021). This has been decreed amidst economic concerns, with the aim to boost economic performance. Restrictions on internet data, however, have continued. In the same vein as the lift on the internet curfew, partial restrictions on some applications were lifted on 28 May Furthermore, during the coup, it was observed that the Tatmadaw was gradually shifting tactics from enacting internet shutdowns, blocking access and censorship, to destroying internet and telecommunication infrastructure. On top of internet shutdowns and mobile data suspensions, on 2 April 2021, the military ordered security forces to physically destroy wireless broadband and cables (Reuters, 2021). 0 1 46