The world witnessed nearly 300 internet shutdowns last year, with 85 of those in Myanmar alone, according to a new report by Access Now, a non-profit organization focused on digital rights.

The Southeast Asian country is still in the grip of a fierce civil war between the ruling junta and various rebel factions. The junta started imposing internet shutdowns when a nationwide armed resistance erupted in the wake of the February 2021 coup. Initially the military authorities insisted the shutdowns were for "stability" to prevent what they described as fake news. But four years on, according to the Access Now report, those shutdowns have gotten worse.

Titled Emboldened offenders, endangered communities: internet shutdowns in 2024, the document details scores of local, regional and nationwide outages mostly orchestrated by the military officials.

"For the fourth consecutive year, the Myanmar military remained one of the world's worst perpetrators of internet shutdowns in 2024 — clear evidence of the junta's blatant disregard for the international human rights order and increasing weaponization of connectivity to disempower people in Myanmar," said Wai Phyo Myint, Asia Pacific policy analyst at Access Now.

The Myanmar military ordered 76 out of 85 disruptions. Interestingly, the........

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