In recent years, Myanmar has become one of the most repressive countries in the world when it comes to internet freedom, rivaling even China’s infamous “Great Firewall.” A recent report by Freedom House ranked Myanmar alongside China, giving both countries a dismal score of 9 out of 100 for 2024. This shocking decline follows Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, which saw the junta impose brutal restrictions on online access and free speech. The internet, once a vital tool for Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, is now being used to strangle dissent and isolate the population. As Myanmar rapidly closes off from the world, the parallels to China’s digital repression are impossible to ignore, but Myanmar’s approach is in many ways more crude, chaotic, and deeply destructive.
Myanmar’s Digital Dictatorship
Since the coup, Myanmar’s military has aggressively cracked down on free speech. The junta, also known as the Tatmadaw, has used internet shutdowns, censorship, and mass surveillance to stifle dissent, creating what human rights groups call a “digital dictatorship.” As the Freedom on the Net 2024 report states, the military has built “a mass censorship and surveillance regime,” specifically designed to “suppress the activities of civilian pro-democracy activists and armed resistance groups.”
Myanmar’s approach is ruthless. The military’s strategy includes not only restricting access to websites but also randomly shutting down the entire internet in key areas, leaving large swaths of the population cut off from information. In some regions, the internet has been entirely blocked, while in others, it has been slowed to the point of being nearly unusable. These shutdowns often coincide with military operations, effectively silencing reports of violence and human rights abuses in real time. According to one observer, “The consequences of cutting phone access in the midst of fighting… affect human rights,” as people are unable to report abuses or even call for help.
One of the most alarming developments came in May 2024 when Myanmar’s junta implemented a near-total ban on virtual private networks (VPNs). VPNs had been a lifeline for many, allowing users to bypass government censors and access critical information, including social media and news websites. With these tools now blocked, Myanmar’s citizens are largely trapped behind a wall of digital censorship. “VPNs connect users to their desired sites through third-party computers, effectively making it almost impossible for snooping governments to see what the users are actually connecting to,” but the junta has cut off this final escape route, leaving the people with nowhere to turn.
The Comparisons to China’s Great Firewall
China’s “Great Firewall” has long been considered the gold standard of government control over the internet. Through a sophisticated blend of content filtering, surveillance, and censorship, the Chinese government has managed to isolate its citizens from much of the outside world while maintaining a relatively robust domestic internet. Platforms like WeChat, Baidu, and Weibo replace Western counterparts, giving Chinese users a controlled environment in which to function online. Dissent is heavily monitored, and citizens who step out of line are often met with swift and harsh punishment.
Myanmar’s digital repression, while equally brutal, lacks the sophistication of China’s system. Instead of creating a controlled domestic internet, the junta relies on blunt instruments like total shutdowns and aggressive phone searches. Random street inspections to check for VPN applications are now common, with citizens facing fines or worse if they are found to be using banned apps. Unlike in China, where the government offers domestic alternatives, Myanmar’s people are simply cut off from much of the internet altogether.
There is also a stark difference in the technological capabilities of the two countries. China has invested billions into building a surveillance infrastructure that can track and control almost every aspect of its citizens’ online activity. In Myanmar, the junta has only recently begun to develop this level of technological control. There are reports that Myanmar’s government has turned to China for help in building its surveillance capabilities, and evidence suggests that Chinese experts have been advising the junta on blocking VPNs and intercepting internet traffic. The Freedom on the Net report suggests the technology used in Myanmar may come directly from China, which has a long history of supporting authoritarian regimes.
The Brutal Impact on Free Speech and Human Rights
For Myanmar’s citizens, the impact of this escalating digital repression has been catastrophic. The internet, once a space for organizing protests, sharing information, and staying connected with the outside world, has become a tool of control and fear. Human rights organizations have documented widespread arrests of those critical of the military, including journalists and activists. At least 176 journalists have been detained since the coup, with four killed and many others jailed or tortured. The government has revoked media licenses, blocked independent news outlets, and targeted reporters with the explicit goal of silencing opposition voices.
“Journalism in Myanmar is ‘an extremely dangerous profession,’” according to Reporters Without Borders, as media workers face “significant risks of being tortured, jailed or murdered.” The junta has taken extraordinary steps to ensure that its actions remain hidden from both the world and the Burmese public. By cutting off communication channels, it has effectively silenced the voices of those fighting for democracy, creating a state of near-total isolation for many communities.
This isolation is not just an inconvenience—it is life-threatening. As the United Nations has warned, access to information in Myanmar is “a matter of life and death for many people,” particularly those trying to navigate military attacks or seek safety in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. The junta’s internet shutdowns and censorship make it nearly impossible for citizens to find crucial information, access emergency services, or report abuses. In some areas, residents are left completely cut off, unable to send messages, upload evidence of military crimes, or even call for medical assistance. The situation is growing worse by the day, as Myanmar descends further into chaos.
A Future of Digital Oppression
As Myanmar’s military tightens its grip on the internet, the country risks slipping into a permanent state of digital oppression. The recent ban on VPNs has left millions without access to basic online services, and the government shows no signs of stopping. Already, there are rumors that more censorship laws are being drafted, with harsh punishments for those caught using restricted websites. Myanmar’s approach is to create a “digital blackout,” cutting its citizens off from the world, and it is succeeding.
The international community has largely remained silent as Myanmar’s freedoms are stripped away. As the Freedom on the Net report noted, 2024 marks the 14th consecutive year of global declines in internet freedom. Nearly 80% of the world’s population lives in countries where posting political or social views online can lead to arrest, and in a record 43 countries, people have been attacked or killed for their online activities. Myanmar, with its growing authoritarian regime, is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous places in the world for free speech.
If Myanmar continues on this path, the consequences will be dire. With no access to secure communication, the pro-democracy movement will be further weakened, and the country will become more deeply entrenched in its authoritarian rule. The people of Myanmar face an uncertain and frightening future, where speaking out—whether online or in person—could result in imprisonment, torture, or death. The junta is building a nation where fear rules, and where the internet, once a tool of freedom, is now a weapon of oppression.
Myanmar’s descent into digital darkness is a tragedy unfolding in real time. Without action from the global community, the people of Myanmar may soon find themselves behind a digital iron curtain, cut off from the world and trapped in a state of perpetual repression. The time to act is now, before Myanmar becomes another China, where the dream of internet freedom is nothing more than a memory.