Myanmar protests gather pace as protesters call for military to release Aung San Suu Kyi
Tens of thousands of protesters overcame a post-coup internet blackout as they took to the streets of Myanmar’s largest city for a second consecutive day on Sunday, demanding the release of deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
A witness in the former capital Yangon told CNN the crowd on Sunday mostly consisted of young people and appeared to be significantly larger and better organized than Saturday’s protest. Public participation also looked to be growing, according to witnesses. Reuters news service said tens of thousands were in the streets.
Myanmar's military junta ordered a national scale internet outage Saturday, as massive demonstrations against Monday's coup were held, the country's Telenor Group communications service said in a stat. Myanmar junta blocks internet countrywide as thousands protest military coup | Main | English edition | Agencia EFE
Norwegian
(Oslo, 6.2.21) The Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) has directed all mobile operators to temporarily shut down the data network in Myanmar. Voice and SMS services remain open.
In the directive, the MoTC cites legal basis in Myanmar’s Telecommunication Law, and references circulation of fake news, stability of the nation and interest of the public as basis for the order. Telenor Myanmar, as a local company, is bound by local law and needs to handle this irregular and difficult situation. We have employees on the ground and our first priority is to ensure their safety.
Telenor Group views this development with deep concern. We have emphasised to the authorities that access to telecom services should be maintained at all times, especially during times of conflict, to ensure people’s basic right to freedom of expression and access to information. We deeply regret the impact the shutdown has on the people in Myanmar.