Naypyidaw (dpa) – After public protests against the military coup in Myanmar, which were organized mostly via social media, the mobile internet was blocked on Saturday at the direction of the government. According to media reports, Twitter and Instagram should also be blocked after Facebook.
British organization Netblocks, which documents internet blocking around the world, has spoken of a “nationwide internet blackout” in Myanmar. Data volume fell to 16 percent of the normal volume on Saturday due to restrictions and power cuts.
The Norwegian operator Telenor announced that all mobile operators active in the country have received instructions from the Ministry of Transport and Communications to temporarily turn off the mobile Internet. Telenor noted that “the spread of fake news” and “the stability of the country” are among the reasons for the internet blocking. The company implemented the instructions in order not to jeopardize the safety of employees on site, but was extremely concerned about the restrictions.
The army in Myanmar was back in power Monday night. Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been the de facto head of government since 2016, was arrested less than three months after her apparent election victory along with several other politicians and is said to be under house arrest. After the military banned Facebook, protesters have largely organized themselves via other social networks such as Twitter in recent days.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210206-99-326713 / 2
