Myanmar’s military regime has cut off or restricted internet access in 45 townships experiencing armed conflict over the past two-plus years since the coup, according to a report by Athan, an advocacy group for freedom of expression in Myanmar.
The regime has imposed internet shutdowns in 27 townships in Sagaing Region, two each in Mandalay and Magwe regions, five in Kayah (Karenni) State, one in Kachin State and eight in Chin State, according to the research report “Disconnections and Vanishing Rights,” published on Tuesday.
The military junta’s restrictions on transportation access in some parts of Myanmar, meanwhile, have severely impacted the supply of fuel and basic goods. The shortage of fuel has disrupted the operations of telecoms towers, resulting in mobile data networks being unavailable in some areas, says the Athan report.
The regime has also cut phone line services in addition to imposing internet blackouts ahead of anticipated attacks in some parts of the country.
The regime cut phone line services in Chin State’s Mindat and Matupi townships on January 7 of this year. It also cut phone line services on January 20 in Mindat, one day before it dropped multiple bombs in air raids on the town. The regime also cut phone line services during fighting in villages in Karen State’s Kawkareik Township in October 2022.
The regime imposes internet shutdowns to restrict the flow of information among local people, according to political analysts.
“The Myanmar military is prone to attacks in places with unrestricted access to the internet,” political analyst U Ye Tun told DMG. “As everyone has a cellphone in this age, it is not safe for the Myanmar military. Information leaks once they start to make a move. It is easier to do other things if they can control information flow. If people don’t have access to the internet, they can’t share and leak information.”
It has been more than four years since internet access was cut off in Chin State’s Paletwa Township amid intense fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army in 2019. Local people, consequently, have little access to information.
“We can’t read news because of the internet shutdown,” said Paletwa resident Ko Zaw Thein. “We heard about fighting in Matupi. But we don’t know exactly because of the internet shutdown. We are suffering from a news blackout.”
Internet services were cut off in townships in northern Arakan State and Paletwa Township amid the fighting in 2019. Internet services resumed across much of the affected area in February 2021, but not in Paletwa.
“It is a violation of civilian rights to cut off internet access. It is not what governments should do,” said U Myat Tun, director of the Rakhine Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Association.
While the junta has ostensibly imposed its internet shutdowns for military purposes, the disconnection has significant impacts on local economies, education, healthcare and daily social life. Job scarcity, rising commodity prices, and a lack of access to education and public health services are the consequences, according to the report from Athan.
DMG was unable to obtain comment from junta spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun regarding the internet shutdowns affecting 45 townships.
