Round-up: Blogging in Burma

As Burmese citizens joined their nation’s monks in pro-democracy demonstrations, the international media became reliant on bloggers and eyewitnesses posting images, videos and accounts to the web.

Two weeks later, this flow of online information has been stemmed by a government crackdown, which, according to The Guardian, has now made all websites with the .mm suffix unavailable and reduced the number of active blogs from the region to almost zero.

Increasing control over the internet is thought to have begun last week with a block on access from within Burma to some political blogs.

A complete block of Google-owned service Blogger.com followed according to the same Guardian report, and, on Friday, internet access stopped entirely.

Through its English-language TV channel MRTV-3, the military Junta has broadcast messages branding international news providers as liars and ‘destructionists’.

The BBC has been asking for first-hand clips and statements by way of specialised comment boxes at the end of articles on the events:

Are you in the area? Are you affected by the events in Burma? Send us your comments using the form below.

You can send your pictures and moving footage to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to + 44 (0) 7725 100 100

Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video

When taking photos or filming please do not endanger yourself or others, take unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.

Audio and video, pictures and text sent to the BBC from people in Burma allowed for frequent, on-the-ground updates.

However, a BBC report on Friday said:

Journalists at the BBC News website say no images are now being sent from Burma and the previously fast flow of e-mail comments sent from inside the country has slowed to a trickle.

Not all sites have lost communication: The Irrawaddy news website, produced by exiled Burmese journalists, carries photos of the protests from Friday and text updates, including alerts from today.

Some blogs published by third parties, such as London-based blogger Ko Htike and the Burmese Bloggers without Borders site, which was started in response to the demonstrations, are still active.

Within Burma, internet users have been gaining access to news sites through foreign-hosted proxy sites, such as your-freedom.net and glite.sayni.net, but the latest restrictions to internet access will make even these tactics impossible.

1 thought on “Round-up: Blogging in Burma

  1. Free Burma!

    Free Burma!
    International Bloggers’ Day for Burma on the 4th of October

    International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words „Free Burma!“.

    http://www.free-burma.org

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