Myanmar’s new military government blocked access to Facebook as resistance to Monday’s coup surged amid calls for civil disobedience to protest the ousting of the elected civilian government and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Facebook is especially popular in Myanmar and the ousted government had commonly made public announcements on the social media site.
Internet users said that the disruption began late on Wednesday, and mobile service provider Telenor Myanmar confirmed in a statement that mobile operators and Internet service providers in Myanmar had received a directive from the Burmese Ministry of Transport and Communications to temporarily block Facebook.
Photo: AFP
Telenor Myanmar, which is part of the Norwegian Telenor Group, said that it would comply, although it was concerned that the order was a breach of human rights.
“Telecom providers in Myanmar have been ordered to temporarily block Facebook. We urge authorities to restore connectivity so that people in Myanmar can communicate with family and friends, and access important information,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
The National League for Democracy, which was ousted in Monday’s coup, and rights advocates in Myanmar have called for a campaign of civil disobedience to oppose the takeover.
In the vanguard are medical personnel, who have declared that they would not work for the military government.
For a second night on Wednesday, residents in Yangon engaged in “noise protests,” with people banging pots and pans, and honking car horns under cover of darkness.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world must rally to ensure that the military coup fails.
“We will do everything we can to mobilize all the key actors and international community to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make sure that this coup fails,” Guterres told the Washington Post. “It’s absolutely unacceptable to reverse the results of the elections and the will of the people.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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