Previous 63 / 111 Next

Myanmar campaigns and posting anti-military narratives on social media. A tactic that is used commonly by the military is doxing, which usually happens on Telegram. Doxing is the act of publicly identifying or publishing private information about someone as a form of punishment or revenge. Pro-military social media users have actively used doxing to help the military hunt down people considered opposing the regime. From the early days of the coup, there have been reports of defecting military and police officers who were doxed by pro-military Telegram users who linked them to resistance groups. Doxing of women often also include the release of private sexual videos and photos to the public. Female victims also reported receiving rape and death threats. Because of these forms of attacks, women who have been doxed retreat from public life due to social stigma and to avoid further harassment. A 2023 CNN analysis found hundreds of sexual videos and images on pro-military Telegram channels abusing women, often for having 216 217 218 219 220 221 pro-democracy views, and hundreds more receiving sexually abusive messages216. Social media platforms, particularly Facebook as the most popular platform in the country, are monitored by pro-military social media users. Fear of being identified causes many people to stop posting or sharing anything on these platforms as they do not feel safe 217 . In April 2023, after deadly military airstrikes on Pa Zi Gyi village in Sagaing division killed more than 160, at least 69 people who participated in the ‘black profile picture’ campaign to condemn the attack were doxed. The human rights NGO, Myanmar Witness, also reported that pro-military social channels called for torture and arrest of those who expressed sympathy for the victims218. There were also labeled with various derogatory phrases and accused of supporting terrorism219. Those arrested in 2023 for their social media posts included Ye Htut, former information minister and presidential spokesperson during the Thein Sein government 220, 221. Munsi, Pallabi. “They Released a Sex Video to Shame and Silence Her. She’s One of Many Women in Myanmar Doxxed and Abused on Telegram by Supporters of the Military.” CNN, 7 Feb. 2023, edition.cnn. com/2023/02/07/asia/myanmar-military-sexual-images-doxxing-telegram-as-equals-intl-cmd/index.html. Nadi, Khin. “Myanmar Junta Steps up Efforts to Monitor, Silence Perceived Online Critics.” The Irrawaddy, 14 June 2023, www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/analysis/myanmar-junta-steps-up-efforts-to-monitorsilence-perceived-online-critics.html. Pro-SAC Digital Offensive. Myanmar Witness, 17 Oct. 2023, www.myanmarwitness.org/reports/pro-sacdigital-offensive. Ibid. Peck, Grant. “In Myanmar, a Facebook Post Deemed Inflammatory Led to an Ex-minister’s Arrest.” AP News, 30 Oct. 2023, apnews.com/article/myanmar-minister-ye-htut-military-incitement-juta-3e65d01b4ebd88d46d157eea6acde9a9. “Myanmar ex-Information Minister Ye Htut Jailed for Incitement, Sedition.” The Irrawaddy, 30 Nov. 2023, www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-ex-information-minister-ye-htut-jailed-for-incitementsedition.html. 63

Select target paragraph3

● ● ●

Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

Report

Preview

Language

English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Information Operation
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

Author(s)

DigitalReach

Date Published: Aug 6, 2024

Abstract: It is undeniable that information technology has significantly impacted human rights and democracy these days. Different governments around Southeast Asia continually attempt to control digital space through, for example, using repressive laws and regulations, forcing social media platforms to follow their orders, and using spyware and similar technology to surveil critics. In Southeast Asia, democracy and human rights have deteriorated because of these attempts, especially for countries under authoritarian regimes.

In order to better understand the situation, DigitalReach publishes annual reports to present and analyze the events and trends around the region. The 2023 annual report analyzes the digital rights situation in eight countries across Southeast Asia—namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam–from January 2023 to December 2023, with glimpses of key updates into 2024, given the timing of its release.

The report format has been changed completely from the previous years. In order to more systematically present the developments observed, the report is organized into three key areas: (1) Legal and Policy Developments, (2) Information Control and Manipulation, and (3) Threats Against Critics and Political Opposition.

From a regional perspective, legal and policy developments in countries that are known to restrict human rights are still mainly about using or coming up with new policies to further suppress human rights in the digital sphere. Countries considered to be more democratic also attempt to change or repeal their laws, but still without a clear sign of improvement toward digital rights.

In terms of information control and manipulation, social media platforms continue to be deployed for political ends, with different platforms serving a specific purpose for each country. The shift toward short video format, TikTok in particular, continued from 2022 to contribute toward information disorder, especially during election periods. The use of video shorts is important when targeting young voters, who played an important role in determining election results in Thailand and Indonesia this year like they did in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2022. State-sponsored cyber armies were also documented, while some governments preferred to assert more effective control of social media platforms. Other important methods related to the flow of information include suppression of media freedom and internet disruptions, which are particularly severe in Myanmar following the 2021 coup.

Judicial harassment is a key form of threat used against critics and political opposition in 2023. It is still common for people in Southeast Asia to be thrown in jail for what they say or do online. Others who do not subscribe to the government’s ideology face online harassment from state-sponsored cyber armies or government supporters. In terms of surveillance, 5 out of 8 countries included in this report have been found to have or are likely to have spyware technology.

Link: source

Primary Documents

2023-Annual-Report-FINAL-1.pdf
English
Download View

Myanmar Internet Project

Select target paragraph3

Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

Primary Documents

Notifications