Crackdown on Digital Rights: Online Expression in the Face of Oppression in Myanmar
Summary
As of the end of July 2024, data collected by Data for Myanmar shows that from February 2022 to July 2024, 1,691 online users were arrested due to their online expression on social media or online
communications, particularly for opposing the Myanmar military and supporting pro-democracy movements and resistance groups. On average, around 54 online users were arrested each month. In
July alone, 33 users were arrested across 24 townships.
In 2022, 874 individuals were arrested, followed by 615 in 2023, and 202 in 2024 (up to the end of July). Compared to 2022, the monthly arrest rate has gradually declined in 2023 and 2024. The majority of those arrested—806 individuals—were online users from Yangon and Mandalay regions, with most arrests related to their online expression.
This report is intended to assist policymakers and interested groups both within and outside Myanmar. The data covers the period from February 1, 2022, to July 31, 2024.
