An ecosystem of digital repression: The silencing of women human rights defenders and other pro-democracy activists in Myanmar

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An ecosystem of digital repression: The silencing of women human rights defenders and other pro democracy activists in Myanmar

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Abstract: Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has witnessed an alarming escalation in digital repression. The military junta has imposed internet shutdowns, deployed surveillance technologies and weaponised legal tools to silence dissent. These tactics have disproportionately affected human rights defenders (HRDs), particularly women human rights defenders (WHRDs), who are subject to harassment and threats both online and offline and persecuted through the criminalisation of free speech. This study, conducted by the Myanmar Internet Project (MIP) in collaboration with and support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), draws on a combination of desk research, case analysis and interviews. It documents and analyses the experiences of WHRDs and other pro-democracy activists to understand the lived realities of digital repression and gender-based violence under the military regime, while also integrating the insights of legal experts to clarify the legal context and implications of these violations.