00 Executive summary Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has witnessed an alarming escalation in digital repression. The military junta has imposed internet shutdowns, deployed surveillance technologies and weaponised legal tools to silence dissent. These tactics have disproportionately affected human rights defenders (HRDs), particularly women human rights defenders (WHRDs), who are subject to harassment and threats both online and offline and persecuted through the criminalisation of free speech. This study, conducted by the Myanmar Internet Project (MIP) in collaboration with and support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), draws on a combination of desk research, case analysis and interviews. It documents and analyses the experiences of WHRDs and other pro-democracy activists to understand the lived realities of digital repression and gender-based violence under the military regime, while also integrating the insights of legal experts to clarify the legal context and implications of these violations. Key findings The research reveals that after the February 2021 coup in Myanmar1 there have been various forms of digital repression, including surveillance, internet shutdowns and the amendment and enactment of laws affecting digital and internet rights. We refer to this as an “ecosystem” of digital repression, where all of these strategies are interdependent and work symbiotically to silence online dissent. This ecosystem has a differential impact on WHRDs in Myanmar. The research identified several forms of digital repression affecting them, including restrictions of free speech online, doxxing and sexual harassment through digital platforms such as Telegram. Internet shutdowns, meanwhile, have delayed vital support for women in need. The junta has also invaded the privacy of detained activists by downloading private photos off their phones and sharing them widely in an attempt to degrade and humiliate them. Moreover, we found that 1 Freedom House. (2024). Freedom on the Net 2024: Myanmar. https://freedomhouse.org/country/myanmar/freedom-net/2024#footnote3_jX2Amkm1tX7okLrg8AfZRv7AOPKXitMB5q2Lf6ca0_lGdvnu15OYv1 4