2/24/25, 2:49 PM Online Oppression Takes a New Turn in Myanmar - Fortify Rights being harmed by cyber threats, cyberattacks, or cyber misuse through the application of electronic technologies.” One of the most repressive provisions is the regulation of virtual private networks (VPNs). The decree also penalizes users who access or share media articles and information from banned websites and social media platforms. This decree serves no purpose other than to entrench further the junta’s control over its citizens’ online activities. The junta’s ban on social media platforms in 2021 had prompted individuals to turn to VPNs to bypass these restrictions and ensure their internet browsing remains free from surveillance. In response, the cybersecurity decree imposes a licensing requirement on companies wishing to provide VPN services. Those found to be providing VPNs without a license are liable to heavy penalties, including jail time. While the decree specifically forbids the establishment of VPNs, the general public remains confused about the legality of downloading VPN applications to their devices, and junta forces are using this ambiguity for their financial advantage. Over the past year, we have observed and gathered evidence of the junta’s security forces unlawfully detaining individuals for merely possessing VPNs on their devices, often demanding money in exchange for their release. One 19-year-old man told me that he and his flatmates were arrested and taken into custody for having VPNs on their phones during a nighttime inspection at their residence. “They forced us to show our phones and check if we had VPNs,” he said. “They first demanded money, which ranged between 2.30 and 3 lakh Myanmar kyat [between 50 and 60 USD]. After that, we were taken to an unknown location.” He was only released after his employer paid a bribe to the junta soldiers. It happened months before the enactment of the cybersecurity decree. On multiple occasions, I observed the junta soldiers inspecting the phones of young people at the packed intersections of Yangon, the commercial heart of the country. Many found themselves compelled to hand over their phones to the soldiers. https://www.fortifyrights.org/mya-inv-oped-2025-02-09/ 3/7