In addition to the recent army coup by the military in Myanmar that effectively sidelined the country’s celebrated leader Aung San Suu Kyi, their new draconian cybersecurity bill is now causing a stir for all the wrong reasons. As tense situations prevail throughout the country’s capital, the new bill is only adding fuel to the already raging fire amongst the public.
This new bill gives the army the authority to ban any content that reflected against the sentiments of the army, and even “permanently undermine internet freedom in the country.”
The new rules would also require providers to hand over information to authorities “under any existing law” and give the state powers to intervene in cases that threaten Myanmar’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The 36 pages outlining the proposed laws were given to mobile operators and telecoms license holders for comment on Tuesday ― just over a week after the army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, a statement from the protesters to Reuters said. “The so-called bill includes clauses which violate human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, data protection and privacy, and other democratic principles and human rights in the online space,” said the statement, signed by more than 150 organizations.
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