4/29/22, 5:15 PM Technology: a problem or a solution in Myanmar’s revolution? · Global Voices data protection complaint [https://justiceformyanmar.org/press-releases/statement-signed-by-694-civil-society-organisations-to-oppose-telenors-irresponsiblemanagement-of-user-data-and-its-plan-to-sell-telenor-myanmar-to-a-military-linked-company] against the Norwegian company Telenor where 694 civil society organizations signed a petition asking for transparency on how Telenor will handle the transfer of the data of 18 million users. However, if the acquisition is made, 75 percent of the telecom sector will be controlled by the military and its affiliates. On the other hand, Justice for Myanmar’s “Nodes of Corruption, Lines of Abuse” report [https://www.justiceformyanmar.org/stories/nodes-ofcorruption-lines-of-abuse-how-mytel-viettel-and-a-global-network-of-businesses-support-the-international-crimes-of-the-myanmar-military] said that the military has the capacity to conduct spectrum monitoring, which can surveil not only over the internet but also other wireless communications, allowing it to track people who are attempting to mask themselves to resist digital repression. The combination of control of 75 percent of the telecom sector and the spectrum monitoring capacity will boost the military’s surveillance capability sky high. The military also made internet prices rise, erecting barriers to accessibility. On January 6, 2022, the SAC amended the Union Tax Law and came up with the “Law Amending the Union Tax Law 2021” which imposed a tax of MMK 20,000 per SIM card activation — 13 times higher than the original SIM price. The law also imposed [https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-raises-sim-and-internettaxes-to-silence-opposition.html] a 15 percent tax on the revenue of Internet Services Providers (ISPs), causing enormous price hikes. Despite the terrible digital repression, internet-mediated public mobilization is getting stronger. Pro-democracy forces are constantly circumventing internet access, and access to social media platforms to organize public anti-coup movements. Crowdsourced financing programs have become a popular way to support the parallel government, the National Unity Government (NUG), which is standing against the SAC. Telegram has become one of the major platforms for public mobilization and scouting. Public information operations to avoid and map out the military forces have taken place on public Telegram channels, which are working quite effectively. Strikes, flash mobs and township-level protests are being organized through those public channels. The digital resilience of its society will play as one of the determining factors of the revolution of Myanmar. This scenario of digital repression is one of the many manifestations that indicate that cyberspace has become a new sovereign territory different from land, sea and air. Information freedom, internet freedom, digital literacy, and media literacy cannot be taken for granted anymore as they now have an impact on people’s physical and digital survival. Therefore, Myanmar’s ongoing revolution to fight against the military’s dictatorship is not just physical anymore — the fact is that whoever harnesses the power of technology in the right way will become the game changer of the revolution. Please visit the project page for more pieces from the Unfreedom Monitor [https://advox.globalvoices.org/special/unfreedom-monitor/] . Support our work Global Voices stands out as one of the earliest and strongest examples of how media committed to building community and defending human rights can positively influence how people experience events happening beyond their own communities and national borders. Please consider making a donation to help us continue this work. Donate now https://globalvoices.org/2022/04/21/technology-a-problem-or-a-solution-in-myanmars-revolution/ 3/4