Vol. 8, No. 3 Smith & Smith: Use and Abuse of Social Media in Myanmar between… In March 2020, Myanmar authorities ordered the mobile phone operators to block access to 221 sites under Article 77 of the Telecommunications Law. 83 Article 77 allows the blocking of sites in an “emergency situation”. In this case, it was claimed to be about COVID-19. 84 Whilst no list was provided, several major news outlets were blocked, as were ethnic minority-focused news sites.85 At the same time, five journalists were facing terrorism charges for interviewing the Arakan Army ethnic armed group that the government had declared a terrorist organisation.86 In addition, the Tatmadaw practised online manipulation whilst “the government coerced telecommunications companies to impose internet shutdowns and disruption of services in Rakhine and Chin states”.87 In 2019, six artists who live-streamed a Facebook “political satire that mocked and criticised the military” were imprisoned for violating Section 505(a) of the Penal Code. Four later received further imprisonment for violating the ‘online defamation’ clause (Section 66(d)) of the Telecommunications Law.88 In the middle of 2019, the government imposed an internet blackout in conflict-ridden parts of Rakhine and Chin states.89 The blackout was announced by the service providers and not by the government. Jha notes that “[t]he move to suspend internet access, in turn limiting freedom of expression and information comes at a time when Myanmar’s citizens are already under attack for voicing their opinions”.90 The blackout lasted for almost a year and “raised serious concerns that many citizens had been left in the dark about the global COVID-19 pandemic”. 91 Social Media and the Tatmadaw A New York Times investigation in 2018 found that Myanmar military personnel used Facebook as a tool for ethnic cleansing targeting the Rohingya.92 They flooded Facebook with their hatred by posing as pop stars and national heroes. They claimed that Islam was a threat to Buddhism and even shared a fake story about the rape of a Buddhist woman by a Muslim man.93 This story seems to be a common theme in a number of attacks on Muslims. Military officers secretly monitored popular accounts and criticised posts unfavourable to the military. 94 In June 2018, a new company, MyTel, entered the mobile phone market.95 It is owned by Viettel, a Vietnamese enterprise wholly owned and operated by the 83 Reporters Without Borders (2020). Ibid. 85 Ibid. 86 Ibid. 87 Asia Centre (2021) at 5. 88 Ibid, at 5. 89 Jha (2019, 24 August 2014). 90 Ibid. 91 Preece & Beny (2021). 92 Mozur (2018). 93 Ibid. 94 Ibid. 95 Thurein Hla Htway (2018). 84 318 Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4150894