The Internet control in Myanmar is limited to information about the earthquake

After an earthquake 7.7 on Friday, the Internet is filled with videos, photos and social media that documents the damage in Thailand.

But across the border in Myanmar, where the devastating earthquake was shown, there was a quieter image about the Diaaster scale.

It was difficult to obtain information from Myanmar partially because of the country’s history of online control. In recent years, the army has closed the Internet over and over again, reduced access to social media, and isolating the country digitally from the rest of the world.

These blocs are aimed at thwarting the opposition and supporting military rulers in the country. Freedom of the press has also been strongly restricted. But in the case of emergency such as the earthquake, where the power outages and infrastructure damage can already access the Internet, these restrictions can limit the available information and can affect the delivery of aid.

Soon after the earthquake, even the government is struggling to stay online, as it was not possible to reach many official websites controlled by Junta.

The Myanmar Army took power in a coup in 2021, where it took control of the country’s communication networks, allowing it to close the Internet access in certain areas and create power outages, according to the arrival now to the Digital Rights Organization.

Although Internet blocks are widely, some areas have a better connection than others. Joe Freeman, a Myanmar researcher at Amnesty International, said in areas where rebel groups are fighting against the army, which cannot rely on the Internet in particular, as many use Satellink -based service to connect to the Internet.

The earthquake struck in central Myanmar on Friday around 12:50 pm local time, causing damage to cities in distant places such as Bangkok in neighboring Thailand. The earthquake was struck near Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar after Yangon, and a strong bounce tremor was recorded shortly after that.

Mr. Freeman said that the Internet blocks in Myanmar and its control policies definitely have an impact on obtaining information about the country’s disaster.

“Compare the coverage of the earthquake in Thailand, where tremors and damages were widely reported, spread and documented, to Myanmar, where we still have a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss and may not for some time.”

Black Hole is a flagrant contradiction with the reality of the country before the coup, when it has spread increasing numbers of smart phone users addicted to Facebook, huge amounts of meanings, political discussions and videos during previous crises, such as the spread of Covid and protests against the military coup.