Anyone caught using VPN software in Myanmar can be detained by the military dictatorship until their relatives pay a high ransom. Burmese exile media report on such incidents. VPNs (virtual private networks) are used, among other things, to avoid censorship on the Internet. For example, in Myanmar, access to Facebook or news websites is indispensable.
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According to one, the soldiers conduct a search Irrawaddy Report Steal cell phones randomly from civilians on the streets, or in raids on restaurants or factories. If VPN software is found on the devices, their owners will be locked up until a multiple of the annual salary is paid. It is unclear whether this money goes into the official military treasury or soldiers directly raise their pay this way.
In early 2021, the Myanmar military seized power in a coup. This led to a civil war that was unfavorable to the military dictatorship. It has less than 40 percent of the territory. If possible, people living there should not know how the war is going and what type of war is going on War crimes and other atrocities committed by military dictatorships. So there is an information war going on, which affects not just journalists, but everyone. Death sentences are given and executed even for critical postings; other critics and many journalists have also been murdered without trial.
Whitelist for certain websites
The government is continuously shutting down the internet and telephone completely; according to Latest available data More than a quarter of all municipalities are offline. In the rest of the country there is heavy censorship of the Internet. If you want to read the news or simply check Facebook, you have to use a VPN, which is prohibited. The army has taken control of all network operators. Without a VPN, only selected online content can be accessed. According to a report by the American non-governmental organization Freedom House, this whitelist of the military dictatorship includes only about 1,500 websites. Every year it examines the state of the Internet in 70 countries; Their latest report Note that Myanmar has nearly displaced the People’s Republic of China as the number one enemy of the free internet. Myanmar ranked second, behind Iran. North Korea is not part of the investigation; the country does not have widespread internet access.
According to Freedom House, these measures include the military dictatorship ordering its soldiers to spread misinformation online and harass online critics. The report was produced, among other things, with the help of the Free Expression Myanmar organization. British human rights organization Article 19 drew attention toAn order from the dictatorship states that critical citizens’ telephone lines will be cut and their bank accounts frozen without further action. The clear aim is to make life more difficult underground or outside the areas controlled by the military dictatorship.
The military taking revenge on its own people also seems absurd. In Myanmar, the military is not just an armed organization, it also controls large parts of the economy. Accordingly, many citizens boycott products they know come from military companies, especially alcohol and cigarettes. If such products are no longer in demand, they will certainly disappear from the range of shops and restaurants. According to reports, the military sent armed men in the fall to force entrepreneurs, for example, to buy Myanmar beer again from the military and display it prominently in shops or restaurants.
(DS)
