Internet ban necessary – Military spokesman

28 July 2020
Internet ban necessary – Military spokesman
(File) Myanmar soldiers arrive at Buthidaung jetty in Myanmar's Rakhine State on August 29, 2017. Photo: AFP

A government ban on internet service in western Myanmar’s war-torn Rakhine state — criticized as harmful by rights groups and relief workers — keeps troop movements offline and secret while dampening speech that incites ethnic tensions, RFA reported quoting a spokesman for the country’s military.

The military’s justification for the 13-month shutdown follows renewed calls to end the denial of internet service to townships where Myanmar forces have been fighting the Arakan Army (AA), a policy which has hampered aid workers and left people uninformed about the coronavirus pandemic.

The internet service ban comes up for renewal on Aug. 1.