Internet in Burma
Encyclopedia
The Internet in Burma has been available since 2000 when the first Internet
connections were established. However, the military government works aggressively to limit and control Internet access through software-based censorship
, infrastructure and technical constraints, and laws and regulations with large fines and lengthy prison sentences for violators. The government also charges high prices to connect to the Internet, and then charges on a per-hour basis once connected. Many native Burmese do not have the money to pay for this.
Myanmar's top-level domain
is '.mm
'.
, and the state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT) are the Internet service provider
s in Myanmar. Internet café
s are common in the country and most use different pieces of software to bypass the government's proxy servers.
and Mandalay
. Although 42 cities across the country have access to the Internet, the number of users outside Yangon and Mandalay is just over 10,000. Most of the country's 40,000 Internet connections are ADSL circuits, followed by dial-up, satellite terminal
, and WiMax
. MPT is also undertaking a trial of fiber-to-the-home in Mandalay, and plans to roll out a similar trial in Yangon.
Internet censorship
in Myanmar was classified as pervasive in the political area and as substantial in social, conflict/security, and Internet tools areas by the OpenNet Initiative
in December 2010. Myanmar is listed as an Internet enemy by Reporters Without Borders
in 2011. Myanmar's status is "Not Free" in Freedom House
's Freedom on the Net 2011 report.
Myanmar utilizes a network specifically for domestic use, that is separate from the rest of the Internet. The network, similar to the Kwangmyong network used by North Korea
, limits the flow of unwanted information from outside of the country.
. The Web sites that users are able to visit are pre-selected by official censors. Free e-mail
services, more difficult to monitor than official government accounts, are not allowed. Fortinet
, a California
-based company, in provides the government with software that limits the material citizens can access on-line, especially e-mail
service providers and pornographic websites
.
. During the 2007 street protests
, the junta completely shut down internet connectivity from September 29 to October 4. And state-controlled ISPs occasionally apply bandwidth caps to prevent the sharing of video and image files, particularly during politically sensitive events, such as the November 2010 elections.
, and organizations promoting democracy
. Many sites containing keywords or phrases that are considered suspicious, such as “Burma”, “drugs”, “military government”, “democracy”, “student movement”, “8888” (a reference to the protest movement that began on August, 8, 1988
), and “human rights” are blocked. Access to Yahoo! Mail
, MSN Mail, Gmail
, the video-sharing site YouTube
, the messaging feature of the social-networking site Facebook
, Google’s Blogspot, and the microblogging
service Twitter
are sporadically blocked. However, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems including Skype
are available.
In September 2011 the government stopped blocking YouTube, the BBC, the Voice of America, as well as regional media, such as Thailand's Bangkok Post and Singapore's Straits Times. However, these changes may not be as significant as they first appear, because only 0.3 percent of Burma's population has Web access, outside of Burma's largest city, Yangon, few can read English, and Burmese Internet users may risk arrest and even prison for accessing "subversive" foreign sites like these.
, but are unable to block all circumvention methods. Cybercafes are required by law to keep records on their customers’ activities and provide police access to the records upon request. However, many cafes do not systematically enforce such monitoring, often assisting their users in circumventing censorship instead. In response the government has increased surprise inspections of cybercafes, instructed cafes to post signs warning users not to visit political or pornographic websites, and instructed cybercafes to install CCTV cameras and assign at least four security staff to monitor users.
. However, expression in online environments such as comment features where posters can remain anonymous remains relatively free.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
connections were established. However, the military government works aggressively to limit and control Internet access through software-based censorship
Content-control software
Content-control software, also known as censorware or web filtering software, is a term for software designed and optimized for controlling what content is permitted to a reader, especially when it is used to restrict material delivered over the Web...
, infrastructure and technical constraints, and laws and regulations with large fines and lengthy prison sentences for violators. The government also charges high prices to connect to the Internet, and then charges on a per-hour basis once connected. Many native Burmese do not have the money to pay for this.
Myanmar's top-level domain
Top-level domain
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the last label of a...
is '.mm
.mm
.mm is the Internet country code top-level domain for Burma . It was assigned in 1997. Prior to 1989, the ISO 3166-1 code for Burma was BU, but no .bu ccTLD was ever assigned.-Description:...
'.
Service providers, Internet cafés
Myanmar Teleport (formerly Bagan Cybertech), Yatanarpon Teleport, Information Technology Central Services (ITCS), Red Link CommunicationsRed Link Communications
Red Link Communications Co. Ltd. is a private company headquartered in Yangon, Myanmar. It provides WiMAX broadband internet and other intertet and telecommunications services...
, and the state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT) are the Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s in Myanmar. Internet café
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
s are common in the country and most use different pieces of software to bypass the government's proxy servers.
Internet penetration
Myanmar has a very low Internet penetration rate due to both government restrictions on pricing and deliberate lack of facilities and infrastructure. According to MPT's official statistics as of July 2010, the country had over 400,000 Internet users (0.8% of the population) with the vast majority of the users hailing from the two largest cities, YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
. Although 42 cities across the country have access to the Internet, the number of users outside Yangon and Mandalay is just over 10,000. Most of the country's 40,000 Internet connections are ADSL circuits, followed by dial-up, satellite terminal
Satellite Internet access
Satellite Internet access is Internet access provided through satellites. The service can be provided to users world-wide through low Earth orbit satellites. Geostationary satellites can offer higher data speeds, but their signals can not reach some polar regions of the world...
, and WiMax
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
. MPT is also undertaking a trial of fiber-to-the-home in Mandalay, and plans to roll out a similar trial in Yangon.
Promotion and support
Myanmar Computer Federation, Myanmar Computer Professionals Association (MCPA), Myanmar Computer Industry Association, Myanmar Info Tech Corporation Ltd. (MICT, MICT Park, or Myanmar Software Park) played important roles helping organizations go online. Private IT enterprises and web developers such as Myanmars.NET were mentioned in a February 2000 New York Times article for being entrepreneurs in this very closed country. Other well-known IT companies are Myanma Computer Company (MCC), Ace Data Systems, Myanmar Information Technology Ltd, and Inforithm-Maze, who led thousands of Myanmar businesses to do business online.Blogging
An October 2010 survey found that blogging is the fastest growing type of Internet use in Myanmar, with a 25 percent increase from 2009. A 2009 survey found that:- Blogs focus on entertainment (14%), technology, computers, and the Internet (17%), books and literature (9%), news (6%), hobbies and travel (6%), politics (5%), and religion (4%), among other topics;
- 52 percent of Burmese bloggers write from Burma and 48 percent write from abroad;
- 72% of bloggers are men and 27% are women;
- 77% of bloggers are single and 14% are married;
- 35 percent of bloggers are 26 to 30 years old and 29 percent are 21 to 25 years old;
- 80 percent blog in BurmeseBurmese languageThe Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
, while 8 percent blog in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 10 percent write in both languages, and the rest use ethnic minority languages such as Kachin, KarenKaren languagesThe Karen languages are tonal languages spoken by some three million Karen people. They are of unclear affiliation within the Tibeto-Burman languages. The Karen languages are written using the Burmese script. The three main branches are Sgaw, Pwo, and Pa'o. Karenni and Kayan are related to the...
, and Chin.
Censorship
The government uses a wide range of methods to restrict Internet freedom, including legal and regulatory barriers, infrastructural and technical constraints, and coercive measures such as intimidation and lengthy prison sentences. Although the authorities lack the capacity to pervasively enforce all restrictions, the impact of sporadic implementation and the ensuing chilling effect is profound.Internet censorship
Internet censorship
Internet censorship is the control or suppression of the publishing of, or access to information on the Internet. It may be carried out by governments or by private organizations either at the behest of government or on their own initiative...
in Myanmar was classified as pervasive in the political area and as substantial in social, conflict/security, and Internet tools areas by the OpenNet Initiative
OpenNet Initiative
The OpenNet Initiative is a joint project whose goal is to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employs a number of technical means, as well as an international network of investigators, to determine the extent and nature of government-run...
in December 2010. Myanmar is listed as an Internet enemy by Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
in 2011. Myanmar's status is "Not Free" in Freedom House
Freedom House
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
's Freedom on the Net 2011 report.
Myanmar utilizes a network specifically for domestic use, that is separate from the rest of the Internet. The network, similar to the Kwangmyong network used by North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, limits the flow of unwanted information from outside of the country.
Myanmar Wide Web
The Myanmar Wide Web (MWW) is a pejorative term for the nature of Internet access in Myanmar. Its use is considered so threatening that just connecting to the Internet can be seen as a dissident act. As described by journalists and free-speech activists, the MWW is designed to keep users away from information or artistic works that could possibly "subvert" the régime, cause ethnic tension, or encourage political instability in the view of the military juntaMilitary junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
. The Web sites that users are able to visit are pre-selected by official censors. Free e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
services, more difficult to monitor than official government accounts, are not allowed. Fortinet
Fortinet
Fortinet is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and specializes in network security appliances. Fortinet’s flagship product line is sold under the brand name of FortiGate.-Corporate Overview:...
, a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based company, in provides the government with software that limits the material citizens can access on-line, especially e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
service providers and pornographic websites
Internet pornography
Internet pornography is pornography that is distributed by means of various sectors of the Internet, primarily via websites, peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups...
.
Internet shutdowns and reductions in bandwidth
The Internet infrastructure is also controlled through total shutdowns and temporary reductions in bandwidthBandwidth (computing)
In computer networking and computer science, bandwidth, network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it .Note that in textbooks on wireless communications, modem data transmission,...
. During the 2007 street protests
2007 Burmese anti-government protests
The 2007 Burmese anti-government protests were a series of anti-government protests that started in Burma on 15 August 2007...
, the junta completely shut down internet connectivity from September 29 to October 4. And state-controlled ISPs occasionally apply bandwidth caps to prevent the sharing of video and image files, particularly during politically sensitive events, such as the November 2010 elections.
Banned and blocked websites and blogs
Myanmar has banned the websites and blogs of political opposition groups, sites relating to human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and organizations promoting democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. Many sites containing keywords or phrases that are considered suspicious, such as “Burma”, “drugs”, “military government”, “democracy”, “student movement”, “8888” (a reference to the protest movement that began on August, 8, 1988
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
), and “human rights” are blocked. Access to Yahoo! Mail
Yahoo! Mail
Yahoo! Mail is a web mail service provided by Yahoo!. It was inaugurated in 1997, and, according to comScore, Yahoo! Mail was the second largest web-based email service with 273.1 million users as of November 2010....
, MSN Mail, Gmail
Gmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
, the video-sharing site YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, the messaging feature of the social-networking site Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, Google’s Blogspot, and the microblogging
Microblogging
Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size...
service Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
are sporadically blocked. However, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems including Skype
Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
are available.
In September 2011 the government stopped blocking YouTube, the BBC, the Voice of America, as well as regional media, such as Thailand's Bangkok Post and Singapore's Straits Times. However, these changes may not be as significant as they first appear, because only 0.3 percent of Burma's population has Web access, outside of Burma's largest city, Yangon, few can read English, and Burmese Internet users may risk arrest and even prison for accessing "subversive" foreign sites like these.
Censorship circumvention
The use of Internet censorship circumvention methods is banned; the Myanmar ISPs block many bypass and proxy websitesProxy server
In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server...
, but are unable to block all circumvention methods. Cybercafes are required by law to keep records on their customers’ activities and provide police access to the records upon request. However, many cafes do not systematically enforce such monitoring, often assisting their users in circumventing censorship instead. In response the government has increased surprise inspections of cybercafes, instructed cafes to post signs warning users not to visit political or pornographic websites, and instructed cybercafes to install CCTV cameras and assign at least four security staff to monitor users.
Laws
Laws regulating the Internet include the Computer Science Development Law (1996), the Wide Area Network Order (2002), and the Electronic Transactions Law (2004), while the Printers and Publishers Registration Act (1962) regulates the media. These laws and associated regulations are broadly worded and open to arbitrary or selective interpretation and enforcement. The Electronic Transactions Law covers “any act detrimental to”—and specifically “receiving or sending and distributing any information relating to”—state security, law and order, community peace and tranquility, national solidarity, the national economy, or national culture. Violators face fines and prison terms of 7 to 15 years. The importing and use of a modem without official permission is banned, with penalties for violations of up to 15 years in prison. Harsh prison terms and selective enforcement encourages self-censorshipSelf-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own work , out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities of others, without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority...
. However, expression in online environments such as comment features where posters can remain anonymous remains relatively free.
Prison terms
Many political prisoners in Myanmar are charged under the laws mentioned above, for example:- Reporters Without BordersReporters Without BordersReporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
counted at least 15 journalists and three internet activists in detention in 2011; - Nay Phone Latt, a blogger and owner of three cybercafes, was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison in November 2008 for posting a cartoon of General Than ShweThan ShweSenior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
, Chairman of the State Peace and Development CouncilState Peace and Development CouncilThe State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
from 1992 to 2011; - members of the 88 Generation Students Group88 Generation Students GroupThe 88 Generation Students Group is a Burmese pro-democracy movement known for their anti-government activism. Many of its members are currently imprisoned by the Burmese government on charges of "illegally using electronic media" and "forming an illegal organization"...
, Htay KyweHtay KyweHtay Kywe is a currently-imprisoned Burmese pro-democracy activist considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. BBC News describes him as a key member of the 8888 Generation movement.-Background and role in 1988 protests:...
, Min Ko NaingMin Ko NaingPaw Oo Tun is the President of Universities Student Union of Burma and a leading democracy activist and dissident. He has spent the majority of the last 22 years imprisoned by the state for his opposition activities.-Biography:...
, Ko Jimmy, Nilar TheinNilar TheinNilar Thein is a Burmese democracy activist and political prisoner currently held at Thayet prison in Burma's Magway Region. Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience.-8888 uprising and subsequent arrests:Nilar Thein is from Yangon, Burma...
, Mie MieMie MieThin Thin Aye , is a currently imprisoned Burmese democracy activist who played a leadership role in numerous anti-government protests. Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience.-8888 uprising and 1996 arrest:...
, and nine others, were convicted on 11 November 2008 of four counts of "illegally using electronic media" and one count of "forming an illegal organization" and sentenced to 65 years in prison apiece, while the group's photographer, Zaw Htet Ko KoZaw Htet Ko KoZaw Htet Ko Ko is a Burmese political activist. He is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for his work with the pro-democracy 88 Generation Students Group, and his detention has been criticized by human rights groups including Amnesty International....
, and other members were given sentences ranging from three to eleven years; - freelance reporter Hla Hla Win was arrested in September 2009 and given a 27-year prison term, including 20 years for violating the Electronic Transactions Law, while her associate, Myint Naing, received a 32 year sentence;
- blogger Win Zaw Naing was arrested in November 2009 and faces up to 15 years in prison for posting pictures and reports about the September 2007 protests;
- a former military officer and a foreign affairs official were sentenced to death in 2010, and another foreign affairs official was sentenced to 15 years in prison, for the leaking information and photographs about military tunnels and a general’s trip to North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, but as of December 2010, the executions had not been carried out; - journalist Ngwe Soe Lin, who was arrested at a cybercafe in Rangoon, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in January 2010 for working for an exile media outlet;
- activist Than Myint Aung received a 10-year prison sentence in July 2010 for violating the Electronic Transactions Law by using the Internet to disseminate information that was “detrimental to the security of the state”; and
- photographer Sithu Zeya was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2010 for taking pictures in the aftermath of an April 2010 bomb blast in Rangoon and for his affiliation with an exiled media outlet.
External links
- "The Internet and Burma (1998-2009)", Equal Footing, 26 February 2010
- "Burning down Myanmar's Internet firewall" an article on Myanmar's Internet Censorship by Shawn W Crispin in Asia Times Online, 21 September 2007
- Myanma.com web site, Myanmar Search Engine
- Myanmar News blog, a local news site which can publish only censored news
- Myanmar Web Directory Over 2100+ Myanmar web sites listed
- Myanmar Yellow Pages by Myanmar Post and Telecoms
- Myanmar Telephone Directory / Myanmar White Pages
- Internet in Mawlamyine
- iHost Myanmar Web Hosting, a web hosting service in Myanmar with servers in the US and China