The independent US-based monitoring group Freedom House has released its annual index of “Internet Freedom Scores.” The report measures internet and media independence and assigns countries a score between 0 and 100, with 0 being the most free, and 100 the least.
Myanmar garnered a score of 61, which places the country in the “not free” category.
The overall score is based on assessments of three categories: obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights.
The report also evaluated each country’s “key internet controls” through documentation of the local government’s censorship and control of the digital sphere.
For Myanmar, indications of internet controls pertained to the manipulation of online discussion by pro-government commentators; the arrest, imprisonment, or prolonged detention of blogger or ICT users for political or social content; and technical attacks against government critics or human rights organizations.
In the section regarding government censorship of content, the report highlighted the case of the ‘penis poet’ Maung Saunghkha. The poet was jailed for a poem he posted on Facebook in which a newlywed discovers a tattoo of the president on her husband’s genitals.
The report also looked at topics that had been censored by local governments. In Myanmar, these included criticism of authorities, satire, and blasphemy.
Former military leader President Thein Sein officially ended media censorship in 2012. Although a Telecommunications Law was passed to facilitate the opening of the market to foreign companies, this law has also been the basis of several arrests regarding online speech. Oh, the irony.
Examples of censored individuals who had the Telecommunications Law thrown at them included sailor Hla Phone, better known as Kyat Pha Gyi, the alleged person behind a Facebook account that often satirized the government, and Facebook user Than Tun who altered an image of Aung San Suu Kyi to make her appear naked and included sexually explicit language.
The report also highlighted the increase in internet usage and online censorship before and during last year’s elections. Although platforms such as Facebook were used as major campaign channels, opposing parties often “reported” each other to Facebook in attempts to shut down their opponent’s page.
In 2009, when Myanmar first appeared in Freedom House’s rankings, it had a score of 95. Since then, the number has gradually improved. In 2014, the score was 70, and last year in 2015, it was 63.
This year, Myanmar had the fifth worst score in Asia. The honor of the worst score in the region went to China.
Although all of this sounds pretty bad, at least we’re not living in China, right? Right? Guys?
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