8 | RISING REPRESSION MEETS GLOBAL RESISTANCE: INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2025 Shutdowns during conflict by region6 93 Africa Asia Pacific Eastern Europe and Central Asia Middle East and North Africa 6 74% of internet shutdowns during conflict in 2025 affected countries in the Asia Pacific region. 10 16 DURING Tamu township, CONFLICT: Sagaing Division, Myanmar What happened: How people fought back: In late January 2025, while the Myanmar junta was conducting air strikes and killing civilians in nearby towns,24 local junta forces cut internet services and phone lines in Tamu township,25 leaving people in fear of imminent strikes with no way to get news or communicate to protect one another. “Everyone is on high alert, constantly watching the sky with fright and exhaustion […] We also keep our eyes on our mobile phone connections — the moment the signal drops, we immediately take cover in underground shelters. We’ve come to understand that a loss of communication signals an impending airstrike,” a humanitarian aid worker explained.26 #KeepItOn coalition partners Myanmar Internet Project and Athan documented the shutdown, spotlighting a tactic that has now been linked to crimes against humanity.27 Note: This data was collected through Access Now’s Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project (STOP).28 24 Radio Free Asia (2025). Fighting in Myanmar's Sagaing region prompts thousands to flee to India border. https://www.rfa.org/ english/myanmar/2025/01/30/myanmar-fierce-fight-india-border/ 25 DVB Burmese on X (2025). https://x.com/dvbburmese/status/1884520570848694781/ 27 See supra note 18. International Criminal Court (2025). 26 See supra note 24. Radio Free Asia (2025). 28 See supra note 9. Access Now (2026).