Blogging in Burma
Topping the list of worst places on earth to blog in is Burma, and they are off the charts on the opression scale. A number of other countries within the Middle East and Asia make the list for their harsh Internet laws, but today we will be focusing on Burma. Government repression is at an all time high in Burma, and escalating into more drastic governmental involvement.
Internet censorship, access restrictions, and personal data logs are just some of the ways the government is getting involved in restricting freedom of speech. From detentions, regulations, and intimidation to long term prison sentences, these governments aren't joking around. Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have the highest level of oppressive legislation in the Middle East. China and Vietnam are also aware of these developing blog cultures and set similar regulatory ordinances. We will now look at Burma exclusively.
Burma is notorious for censoring their print and broadcast media. When the internet started posing the same risk, new censorship regulations were introduced. As far as home internet usage is concerned, only 1% of all internet activity is accessed from private residences in Burma. The other 99% access the internet via cyber cafes.
These cafes are under heavy surveillence, and military guards are posted at many of the them. Censorship laws must be obeyed or arrests get made for defamation. Once, during an uprising in 2007, the country shut down access to the entire internet infrastructure. With governmental capability to monitor and suppress all internet communications, Burma Web users are routinely blocked from viewing political opposition groups and sites with similar content.
Two bloggers have even received prison sentences. More bloggers and online journalists were imprisoned than any other group in 2008! Using the internet as a method of publishing anything a user desires is dangerous, and the government's iron fist is an ever present reminder of the consequence.
Bloggers who defame religious or political representatitves and/or the religion of Islam are the most frequently detained and harassed. The purpose of these harsh punishments are to serve as a warning to the mainstream public. Burma's authorities have made it clear that people who slander their religion and politics on the Internet are breaking the law.
Repression is a threat to press freedom worldwide, not just in Burma. The Internet has made it much easier for everyday people to become published authors with a suprisingly large number of followers. This represents a threat to any authoritarian government. That's the reason authorities are tightening up on bloggers, they want everyone to know the consequences of misusing power. Furthermore, authoritarian governments want blog writers with large followings to realize they can pose no real threat to a government that has the power to crush them in their palm.
Information opression and control has been deemed a necessary authoritarian precaution in Burma. Meaning, the censorship laws are not there to make life more difficult, they are simply in place to keep the countries stability and laws intact. A revolutionary uprising can easily be organized on the internet, so Burma must stay in complete control of anything that could cause a destructive event or damage their religious way of life.
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