Report No.16
Crackdown on Digital Rights: Online Expression in the
Face of Oppression in Myanmar
February 2025
This report is intended to assist policymakers and interested groups both within and outside Myanmar. The data covers the
period from February 1, 2022, to February 28, 2025.
Key Messages
•
Over the four years since the military coup,
1,884 people have been arrested due to their
online expression on social media or online
communications
military
and
opposing
supporting
the
Myanmar
pro-democracy
movements and resistance groups.
•
In 2022 and 2023, the average number of
online users arrested exceeded 700, but in
2024, arrests decreased by more than half.
•
In 2024, 375 online users were arrested across
119 townships, with the majority from Yangon
and Mandalay regions.
•
Between January and February 2025, 20
online
users
were
arrested
across
14
townships, indicating that arrests continue to
occur.
•
The majority of those arrested were detained
due to their posts and shares on Facebook,
while others were arrested for content shared on other online platforms such as TikTok,
Telegram, and Viber.
Key Figures
1,884
375
915
35%
Total Number of Arrests
Total Number of Arrests in
2024
Total Number of Arrests in
Yangon and Mandalay
Regions
Percentage of Women in
Total Arrests