Since their illegal attempted coup in 2021, the Myanmar Military has been deliberately putting heavy effort into restricting freedom of expression, whether online digital platforms or in printed form of medium, and access to information in Myanmar. Athan’s media monitoring data for the month of September reveals at least six civilians have been arrested due to their social media posts.

Through their direct surveillance mechanism and/or proxy online monitoring channels, the military has targeted individuals who expressed their opinions and information against the military using social media platforms. This indicates the military’s continued repression of freedom of expression by arresting ordinary citizen for expressing their opinion, torturing them in interrogation, and taking severe legal action that can sentence them to life imprisonment. In addition, the accidents that occurred in September also reveal the pattern of the military’s systematic surveillance of citizens’ privacy and internet freedom.

Zin Moe, a 26-year-old man from Ayeyarwady’s Myanaung township, was one of the arrested civilians in September for his TikTok social media post expressing his support for the National Unity Government and local people’s defence forces. The Junta’s security forces arrested Zin Moe on September 10 and initially paced under the police’s interrogation center located in Myanaung. He was then filed under several severe lawsuits such as Counter-Terrorism Act 52(a), Section 124(a) and 505(A) of Panel Code, and Section 33(a) of Electronic Transition Law.

Meanwhile, four civilians were also arrested in the Bago region for their social media posts sharing information about one of the highest-ranking military officers singing a song at a social event. According to the DVB report, two of the arrested have been released, but the military confiscated their mobile devices, and they were being watched closely.

Another significant case found in September was a case that occurred in Mandalay, where a delivery man got checked by the military on his way to delivering goods to his clients. A local media outlet reported that he was arrested and beaten severely by the military for his Messenger text that says, “Will be waiting to welcome with Thabyay flower.” The text can be interpreted as a metaphor for waiting to welcome the success of Myanmar’s spring revolution.

Situation on Media Freedom

In our media monitoring radar for September, there have not been detected any accident cases committed by the military, but this does not mean the situation has improved, nor there were no repression cases against journalists and individuals working in the media industry, media freedom, or access to information, as more than 53 journalists remain behind the prison bar. However, we have documented the case of two journalists arrested by the Kachin Independent Army (KIA), one of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic resistance organizations. There has been no confirmation by the KIA on the case of why they have arrested the two journalists and where they were detained.

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