New Cyber Security Law ready: Security forces using it for extortion

February 5, 2022

HUFOM: Since the coup, the military junta has been eager to use their Cyber Security Law to monitor residents. On January 13, 2022, the junta announced that the law is now ready having been reviewed from October to December, 2021.

The law has 115 sections and Section 90 has defined that anyone who uses a Virtual Private Network (VPN) without the permission from a particular ministry shall be punished with one year to three years imprisonment and/or a fine that is not excess from five million Kyat.

Even though the law has not been approved yet, security forces of the military junta have been extorting money from the people by referencing the draft law.

Because it is not possible to use Facebook/Messenger without a VPN in Burma, soldiers at checkpoints interrogate and intimidate individuals who have these applications on their phones.

“The local security team, the police, the military, the General Administration Department and the village Administrator have temporarily installed a checkpoint at the entrance of the Alae Sakhan village, Yebyu Township. Here they check mobile phones. In this area, people don’t need to use VPN to use Facebook/Messenger as they have access through the Thai Internet Network. But the authorities say “You have a Facebook application so why don’t you install a VPN” and then they kicked the motorbike and the riders. Some young people were extorted by the security forces,” said a local resident from Yebyu Township.

Due to restrictive security protocols and extortion by the authorities, villagers go outside only when they have very important issues to deal with, and they rarely bring their mobile phones with them.

“The authorities check Facebook accounts and if they see posts that oppose the military, the individual is questioned. If they find a flagship phone, they seize it. They seized a motorbike that doesn’t have a license. Most people don’t bring their mobile phones when going outside,” said a local resident from Thanbyuzayat Township.

Experts say that with the new Cyber Security Law, every internet user can be seen as a criminal. The law is deeply flawed because it removes people’s right to access technology, to have Internet freedom, privacy rights and personal security.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News