Knocking Pots and Burning Photos... Myanmar Military Blocks Facebook

"Attempt to Neutralize Protest Momentum"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The Myanmar military, which staged a coup, has blocked the social networking service (SNS) Facebook to suppress the spreading protests.

As images of street protests, such as burning photos of the military and waving banners with anti-coup slogans, rapidly spread through Facebook, it appears to be an attempt to neutralize civilian resistance.

On the 4th, Myanmar's Ministry of Information and Communications announced that "Facebook is contributing to national instability" and that "Facebook will be blocked until midnight on the 7th," according to reports by the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) and others.

The global network monitoring organization NetBlocks reported that as the Myanmar military takes control of the internet and communications, access to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other services is being restricted by state-run telecommunications companies such as Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications.

Among Myanmar's 54 million population, 27 million, or half, use Facebook, making it a key platform for citizen mobilization.

Since the coup on the 1st, when State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained by the military, Myanmar citizens have been conducting online protests via Facebook.

The news that detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi urged nonviolent protest against the coup became a driving force for the spread of online demonstrations.

In Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, 20 protesters held banners with anti-coup slogans and shouted, "Release the detained leaders," they shouted.

In a building in Yangon, Myanmar, residents protested against the military coup by banging pots and spoons, and photos of this scene quickly spread through Facebook.

Protests condemning the coup also continued outside Myanmar, following the first coup in 10 years of democratization. Myanmar migrants in Thailand participated in anti-coup protests in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Thailand by banging pots with spoons and burning photos.

Civilians also called for international attention and assistance through posts tagged with hashtags such as 'Save Myanmar,' 'Myanmar Wants Democracy,' and 'Justice for Myanmar.'

Facebook announced that it has designated Myanmar as a temporary high-risk area and will strengthen supervision of posts and other content.

A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement, "The company is aware that some people are currently being prevented from accessing Facebook," and urged authorities to restore connectivity so that Myanmar people can communicate with family and friends and access important information.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.