YANGON: Civil society groups here have accused the government of taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to censor legitimate information and curtail freedom of expression.
They claimed that the government had also abused the situation to restrict the media.
Recently, 264 associations, including media networks, women’s groups and disability advocates, issued a joint statement condemning the government’s forced blocking of 221 websites and refusing to lift an Internet blackout in restive areas of Rakhine and Chin states.
According to reports in the Myanmar Times, Daw Yin Yadanar Thein of Free Expression Myanmar said the blocking of websites had a “chilling impact” on press freedom.
“The government is sending a message that if they want, they can block whichever website they want, whenever,” she said, adding that this would lead to increased self-censorship.
On March 23, a further directive was issued to block 14 more websites which the ministry accused of disseminating misinformation.
Article 77 of the law allows the ministry to impose restrictions or bans in an “emergency situation” out of public interest. The government did not clarify what emergency it is invoking.
Foreign organisations have also criticised the move. Matthew Bugher, Asia representative for Article 19, said the blocking of ethnic news websites was drastic and unjustified.
He called it “full-blown censorship of the kind not seen in Myanmar since Aung San Suu Kyi’s government took office”.
“Myanmar should immediately lift its order to block news websites for allegedly publishing ‘fake news’. Such orders will only stifle independent and critical reporting within the country,” said Shawn Crispin of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
He added that censorship and harassment of the media “was supposed to stop during Myanmar’s transition from military to elected rule”.
But government officials deny the accusations. Although the officials have not published a full list of the 221 websites they ordered blocked, they said it includes those promoting pornography, child abuse and fake news about the pandemic.
Nine months ago, the government imposed an Internet blackout in nine townships in northern Rakhine and Chin states despite criticism by the UN and aid agencies.
Advocacy group Fortify Rights urged Nay Pyi Taw to lift the shutdown, which it said amounted to denying access to “vital information” during a public health crisis on top of the armed conflict risks.
“The Myanmar government is preventing residents of Chin and Rakhine states from being informed of how to take precautionary measures, follow best practices and prevent the spread of the disease,” said Matthew Smith, head of Fortify Rights.