After this statement came out 11 members of the Myanmar Press Council resigned from their positions. Because it was considered too much pressure, Mr U Min Jong, secretary-general of the Myanmar Press Council, said As a media council The situation right now is extremely difficult to protect journalists. Which was arrested and released Threatened to work more and more every day since the coup.
While the Myanmar Times, the country’s oldest private English-language newspaper As well as various media Myanmar Consolidated Media’s affiliate, 9 social media and TV stations, had to announce a three-month termination of news coverage after the editors would send reporters to report on the military press conference. But the press decided that the boycott would not offer any news. Of military and government coups in unison
Previously, there were four foreign media in custody: Ko Ko Lay, editor-in-chief of Monywa Gazette, local media Monywa, Ko Thein Zaw, AP correspondent Ma Kay Zune Nway, Myanmar Now reporter, and Ko Ye. Myo Khant, Myanmar Press Agency correspondent
As the media sweeps reporting the news of the protests, the protest continues. Last Saturday, February 27, social media shared images of an undercover police attacking Assaulted before arresting Monywa Gazette CEO Kyaw Kyaw Win during his out on a live tour Report on the scene of violent protests in Monywa City
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In Chin state, Pu Lalawmpuia, CEO of Hakha Times, was arrested by police while reporting the news online. About the situation of protest in Hakka
Right now, the news direction of all media in Myanmar is Calls for the military to restore the country to democracy But it is likely that the military will become even more hostile to the free media. Like before the democratic reform
Social media blog
After the coup d’etat on Feb. 1, Myanmar people used social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Messenger. Mainly in following the news Has been constantly blocked access to social media. By the government of the coup d’etat of Myanmar claiming that In order to prevent the sharing of fake news information Starting from Facebook Which the people of Myanmar mainly use to follow the news With more than 26 million Facebook users in Myanmar, followed by Twitter blocking. And Instagram
These social media are information dissemination tools. And communicate to arrange meetings of Myanmar people Pictures and video clips of the people knocking on the pots, driving a car, honking loudly, driving the coup. Being shared on social media And became news in the mainstream media around the world
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Telenor Group Norwegian multinational telecommunications company Owner of dtac telephone network Issued a statement on February 3 to clarify that the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Government of Myanmar Has issued orders for mobile phone and internet service providers Including all multinational network operators operating in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Block access to Facebook and other affiliated social media, including Messenger and Instagram. Temporarily It is believed to be a mandatory command and goes against international human rights law principles. But the Telenor Group is required to suspend the use of social media as directed by the Burma Army from February 4, 2021 onwards. Users of the Telenor Group network will not be able to access. Facebook website and services Until there is a cancellation order from the government
Facebook spokesman Andy Stone urged the Myanmar junta to cancel Facebook’s ban. So that people can access important information It also helps Burmese people to stay in touch with distant friends and family.
A week after the coup Thousands of Myanmar people from all walks of life march on the streets. And images of police and soldiers using violence to disperse protests Sweeping the opposing people Was published to the eyes of the world This forced the government to block almost all social media, but nowadays, even blocking Myanmar people can still find their way by downloading a VPN (Virtual Private Network) application, Top10VPN.com said. Information that says Demand for downloading VPN apps in Myanmar soars to 4,300%
Over the past 1 month Anti-coup campaign hashtags And called on the world to help pressure the Myanmar army They tend to be in Myanmar and the world trend every day. These hashtags aside from being a way to show political power. People all over the world have also been following the news of the current situation in Myanmar.
Internet signal is lost But the protests continued.
Social media blocking in Myanmar doesn’t seem to work. Can only intercept the dissemination of news for certain groups of people The Myanmar authorities have begun to cut off the internet signal. Especially during the days and times when there are appointments for protests. Most of them have been on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for 3 weeks in a row, but this method can only be blocked from live. Live reports online only Because when the Internet signal came back, the image of the military police throwing bullets on the people, strangulation of the pregnant woman, using the baton to chase the child. The use of violence to sweep the protesters was spread out.
Data from the IP Observatory in Australia that monitors Internet connections around the world reveal that the Myanmar military has been able to completely cut off internet coverage in certain areas. For example, in the central region, at some point, the Internet connection has become zero. In the city of Yangon. Internet connections are left with only 50%, even in a large city where many people live. Cutting off the internet signal is even more difficult. Due to the use of many networks
The NetBlocks Internet Observatory in the UK released data that said. Nearly all internet traffic in Myanmar has been cut off. After the MRTV, the Myanmar government’s broadcaster reported that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces. The new telecommunications law was announced on February 15.
It can be seen that in 2021 the use of media control methods. Social media blog And close communication channels Will be the beginning of the collapse of the Myanmar army Because it made the people of Myanmar more and more angry and showed their strength Causing the police to suppress the protesters more and more every day
On Saturday, February 27, a picture appeared on Twitter. The police used violence to break up rallies. There were pictures of protesters being shot with live bullets lying in the streets of blood. While the police arrested hundreds of protesters There were pictures of dozens of doctors and nurses dressed in white protesting. The doctor also raised three fingers while being forcibly driven by police into the truck. It was the day when the police took the most protesters in more than three weeks as the protesters proceeded to move on.
Author: Pen Sopa Sukontarak
Information: Irrawaddy, France24, New Light of Myanmar, Channel News Asia
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