Myanmar, mired in a civil war triggered by a military coup in February 2021, has joined the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the bottom of an annual assessment of internet freedom in 72 nations worldwide.
The Freedom House rankings evaluate internet access, content limits and user rights violations in the countries, which comprise about 87% of global internet users. The nongovernmental Washington, D.C.-based organization promotes democracy and monitors political and economic freedoms.
Since seizing power from the democratically elected government, “Myanmar’s military has conducted a brutally violent crackdown on dissent and imprisoned thousands of people in retaliation for their online speech, all while building a mass censorship and surveillance regime to suppress the activities of civilian prodemocracy activists and armed resistance groups,” states Freedom on the Net, released in mid-October 2024. The military regime intensified its digital suppression in May 2024 by blocking most virtual private networks (VPN), eliminating a way for users to bypass internet controls.
Myanmar’s military junta has perpetrated a deadly, land-scorching assault against its domestic civilian opponents. Following months of carnage, resistance groups comprised of pro-democracy civilians and ethnic minorities have been defeating junta forces and gaining territory in border areas, including Shan State along the Myanmar-PRC border. The military, with its image of invincibility dented, now relies increasingly on aerial attacks.