Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
September 7, 2007 - You Tube, the popular website which featured the ongoing protests in Burma on video, has been banned by the military junta. Access to the video-uploading website was barred four days ago.

As is usual in the secretive military ruled country, no reason has been ascribed by the internet service provider under the control of the Myanmar Post and Telecommunication Department. BaganNet, the other internet service provider had banned You Tube earlier.

However, here say among rare internet friendly users in Burma suggest that blocking the site was due to footages of demonstrations in Burma which were uploaded.

Most internet users in Burma rely on BaganNet while MPT internet users are mainly from business houses.

An internet user in Rangoon told Mizzima that the video uploading of ongoing protests against the increase in fuel prices could be the reason for the ban.

"Since August 22, when the Hledan demonstrations began, it spread through You Tube among online users here. Later more followed," he said. "We could watch every demonstration on videos," the user said.

No response was available from MPT even though Mizzima contacted the department several times.

Cyber cafés in Burma have prohibited users from browsing banned sites which include news websites such as www.cnn.com and dissidents' and pornographic websites.

Mizzima is also in the list of hundreds of banned sites.