5/23/22, 2:51 AM Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Study | OpenNet Initiative Search HOME Access Books Country Profiles Data ABOUT ONI Regional Overviews ABOUT FILTERING Reports & Articles RESEARCH Maps Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Study PDF Version NEWS BLOG ONI FAQ CONNECT WITH ONI Blog Feed ONI Newsreel 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY @OpenNet ONI on Facebook 2. POLITICAL, TECHNICAL, AND LEGAL CONTEXT IN BURMA A. Sensitive / Controversial Topics for Media Coverage B. Internet Infrastructure and Access C. Legal Background D. General Media Regulation E. Internet Access Regulation F. Internet Content Regulation G. Cybercafe Regulation 3. TESTING METHODOLOGY A. Methods B. Results Analysis C. Methods Specific to Burma D. Topics Tested HELP REPORT CENSORSHIP Suspect a website is being censored? Let us know by reporting it to Herdict! SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST To be kept up to date on our news and reports, sign up for our announcement list. submit 4. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS A. Summary B. Global List Results C. Burma High-Impact List Results 5. CONCLUSION APPENDIX 1 APPENDIX 2 APPENDIX 3 A. Demographics B. Economy C. Politics 1. Executive Summary Burma, also known as Myanmar, implements one of the world's most restrictive regimes of Internet control. These on-line restrictions buttress off-line regulation of speech implemented by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), a group of military officials who maintain authoritarian rule over the state. Burma's system combines broad, vague laws of long standing with harsh penalties. Internet access is costly and the state uses software-based filtering techniques to limit significantly the materials Burma's citizens can access on-line. Most dial-up Internet accounts provide access only to the limited Myanmar Internet, not to the global network that most people around the world can access. The state maintains the capability to conduct surveillance of communication methods such as e-mail, and to block users from viewing Web sites of political opposition groups, organizations working for democratic change in Burma, and pornographic material. As compared to states elsewhere around the world, Burma's censorship regime is among the most extensive. The OpenNet Initiative (ONI) tested its global list of Web sites and a high-impact list of sites with material known to be sensitive to the Burmese state. On the global list, we found nearly 11% of pages tested blocked, with a high level of filtering of e-mail service provider sites (85%) and pornographic sites (65%). The state also blocked significant numbers of gambling (24%), group Web sites (18%), and free Web space sites (18%). On our high impact list of sites with content known to be sensitive to the Burmese state, we found 80% of sites blocked, including nearly all political opposition and pro-democracy pages tested. These findings align with Burma's well-documented efforts to monitor e-mail communication by its citizens and to control political dissent and opposition movements. https://opennet.net/studies/burma 1/15