Myanmar has plunged into a new nationwide internet shutdown on Saturday, an independent monitor said, days after a military coup that coincided with an earlier blackout.
NetBlocks, a group that monitors internet outages around the world tweeted: #Myanmar is now in the midst of a second nation-scale internet blackout” beginning around 10:00 am local time.
⚠️ Confirmed: Internet disrupted in #Myanmar amid military uprising and reports of detention of civilian leadership; real-time network data show national connectivity falling to 75% of ordinary levels from 3:00 a.m. local time; incident ongoing 📉
📰 https://t.co/Jgc20OBk27 pic.twitter.com/CgBkyamrP6
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 31, 2021
Meanwhile after blocking Facebook in the name of public interest and stability, the Myanmar military further expanded its internet crackdown by ordering a block on Twitter and Instagram, days after seizing power in a coup.
The step to block Facebook, which is used by 53 million people in Myanmar, has been taken to squash dissent.
CNN reported, citing Norwegian company Telenor , which offers mobile services in the country, that the Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications ordered mobile networks and internet service providers in the country to block Twitter on Friday.
Myanmar’s military launched a coup on Monday morning and detained Aung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint and other National League for Democracy (NLD) members.
The military also announced a one-year state of emergency in the country, vowing to “take action” against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election, which saw Suu Kyi’s NLD party win resoundingly.
