Summary box
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Myanmar’s military regime that took control of the country has used increasing force to quell protests by the civil disobedience movement, resulting in the deaths of more than 700 civilians to date and disproportionate violence against women. amid the protests.
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This has been accompanied by other restrictions, including increasingly severe internet and social media blockages in a context where these channels have played a vital role in disseminating information and advice on essential prevention of COVID-19.
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These bans will directly harm people’s health, diminish efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic, and further exacerbate women’s risks of gender-based violence and their access to life-saving services.
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They will also hamper the communication channels necessary for social cohesion and security, as well as for documenting and publicizing the human rights violations that occur.
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Internet blockages are increasingly common around the world and are a violation of international law. Urgent action must be taken to ensure safe and reliable access to vital information and services in Myanmar.
On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military took control of the country and arrested State Councilor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, citing unsubstantiated allegations of electoral irregularities in the November elections. 2020. Following this, medical staff in public hospitals in Myanmar launched the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), expressing their intention to stop working under military rule. As a result of the CDM, many public hospitals across the country stopped operating and treating patients. In addition, civil servants from other ministries have joined the movement; protests across the country now number in the hundreds of thousands. In an attempt to suppress the growth of the MDP, the military regime used increasing force and put in place numerous restrictions. This has included increasingly shutting down internet access and banning access to social media platforms such as Facebook, which have been used to coordinate CDM activities. As many people used virtual private networks to access social media, intermittent and nightly internet blockages were increased to near-total internet shutdown starting April 2, 2021. In addition to limiting efforts of the CDM, restricting access to the internet and social media platforms will have serious consequences. effects, especially for women, in the midst of a public health crisis where access to accurate and reliable information and connection to social support networks are crucial.
Facebook is synonymous with the Internet in Myanmar and is used by more than half of the country’s 54 million people. It is also the main source of information and news for many people with even government authorities spreading vital information through this platform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook has played a vital role in providing information and guidance on essential COVID-19 prevention measures. Many organizations, including government entities, have used Facebook to share key information to raise awareness and dispel misconceptions about COVID-19 and address important issues, including intimate partner violence risks. (IPV).
As in many other countries, COVID-19 prevention measures such as stay-at-home orders implemented to reduce the spread of the virus have also been linked to an increased risk of IPV. For example, UNICEF reported a 32% increase in the number of reported cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in Myanmar compared to the pre-COVID-19 period; the majority of them were perpetrated by an intimate partner. The coup likely further exacerbated IPV risks due to increased levels of violence (more than 700 civilian deaths since protests began) and insecurity across the country, which has resulted in further limited freedom of movement, psychological and economic stress, reduced access to services and further fragmentation of social support networks. Women have also been on the frontlines of the MDP and have faced disproportionate violence amid the protests.
At the same time, access to necessary support services such as health care, social protection and legal services was already limited due to the containment measures taken during the pandemic. Some service providers have shifted to delivering GBV services remotely by phone or internet, and have run awareness campaigns on Facebook providing up-to-date information on where survivors can access much-needed support. These information channels and online support services have been a crucial lifeline for many GBV survivors. Similar efforts have been reported in other contexts. However, internet blockages jeopardize these remote service interventions and referrals to life-saving assistance. The coup and subsequent CDM have further reduced access to in-person services, and legal protection mechanisms are effectively suspended. Other options such as private services or humanitarian aid are also disrupted.
Globally, internet blockages are becoming more common; in 2019, 33 countries including India, Bangladesh and Ethiopia implemented 213 internet shutdowns. Yet there is little empirical research on the impacts of these shutdowns on health outcomes.14 Myanmar has a history of internet disruptions and the country’s 2013 Telecommunications Act allows the government to shut down telecommunications in the event national emergency. Prior to the coup, for example, 1 million people in conflict-affected Rakhine and Chin states were already facing months of internet and telecommunications blackouts, impacting civilians’ access to information and impeded humanitarian assistance.13 Today, the entire country faces similar restrictions. . These bans will directly harm people’s health, diminish efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic, and further exacerbate women’s risks of GBV and IPV and their access to often life-saving services. They will also hamper the communication channels necessary for social cohesion and security, as well as for documenting and publicizing the human rights violations that occur. Highlighting the consequences of telecommunications shutdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic and their violation of international law, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged all governments around the world to immediately end blanket shutdowns Internet and telecommunications. fight against the “phantom pandemic” of GBV. In Myanmar, with a coup amid the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and GBV, ensuring safe and reliable access to life-saving information and services is more urgent than ever.
