Burma’s military government has cracked down on press freedom since the coup, stopping people from passing information on the Internet by disconnecting and reducing traffic, and some areas have begun confiscating satellite dishes used to receive international news information.
According to the Associated Press, Myanmar’s southern city of Laputta and parts of Yangon, the largest city, have declared that satellite dishes used to receive foreign news are illegal, and the local government is broadcasting over loudspeakers in vehicles, asking civilians to hand over satellite dishes to the police.
In addition, the Burmese military government has repeatedly disconnected or lowered traffic to prevent the Internet from transmitting information, and over the past week, the Burmese people have been complaining about the slowdown of the Internet. The Internet in Myanmar was cut off yesterday, but it is not known if it is temporary. The Internet service provider MBT said that the network was cut off because the lines between the two major cities of Mandalay and Yangon were cut.
Five well-known independent media outlets had their licenses revoked and were told to stop services on all platforms, but most of them resisted and some were prosecuted.
In a crackdown on press freedom in Myanmar, some 30 journalists have been arrested since February and have yet to be released. Half of them have been charged with spreading information that affects the stability of the country and are subject to a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent New York-based organization, wrote in an open letter to the Burmese military government this week that the recent crackdown on press freedom in Burma has worsened dramatically, with journalists being beaten, shot at with live ammunition, and arbitrarily arrested by security forces for reporting on demonstrations. The organization called on the military government to release all journalists unconditionally, as they have been beaten, shot at with live ammunition, and arbitrarily arrested by security forces for reporting on protests.
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