3/30/22, 3:07 PM Digitally Fueled Civil Resistance and Repression in Myanmar - Political Violence at a Glance   DIGITALLY FUELED CIVIL RESISTANCE AND REPRESSION IN MYANMAR Protestor against the 2021 Myanmar coup in Thailand. Photo courtesy of Prachatai. BY K Y U N G M E E K I M A N D E S P E N G E E L M U Y D E N R Ø D · March 1, 2021 Guest post by Kyungmee Kim and Espen Geelmuyden Rød The aftermath of the coup in Myanmar illustrates how important digital technology has become in the struggle for political power. Social media has fueled nationwide anti-coup protests; the junta has responded with combined online and offline repression. Research shows that autocratic leaders seek control of online information through censorship, disinformation campaigns, and surveillance. At the same time, digital communication is important for democracy activists and protest mobilization. As the coup derailed Myanmar’s path to democracy, protests rapidly spread to all corners of the country, galvanized by youth leaders (“Generation Z”) and digital technology. The use of social media in protests has been highlighted from Arab Spring uprisings https://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2021/03/01/digitally-fueled-civil-resistance-and-repression-in-myanmar/ 1/9