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Myanmar: Freedom on the Net 2015

By Freedom House  •  October 29, 2015

Buddhist monks use the internet in an internet cafe in Yangon March 29, 2012. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun (MYANMAR - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) - RTR301Q7Internet freedom in Myanmar declined during the coverage period of this report in comparison with the progress made since the country undertook liberalization in 2011. 1 The government and security forces stepped up intimidation of internet users during social protests, intensifying conflict in ethnic minority regions, and during preparation for the 2015 national elections.

Since the political reform in 2011, telecommunications has become one of the most dynamic sectors in Myanmar. In 2013, the government granted two international telecommunications companies the opportunity to provide services and infrastructure alongside local firms. Besides creating jobs, the move drove much-needed legal reform. The government passed a Telecommunications Law drafted with input from the international community,2 and Norway’s Telenor Group established the country’s first independent connection to the international internet in March 2014. Qatar’s Ooredoo was the first to launch and offer a mobile phone service to a large part of Myanmar in August 2014. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MICT) released two regulatory laws: “License Provision” in October 2014 and “Networking and Linking” in January 2015.

Download the full report in English here.

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This post is in: ASEAN, Business and Human Rights, Crimes Against Humanity, Human Rights, Law, Military Regime, Political Prisoners, Resistance, Women

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