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1 While the Military Junta That Ruled Burma For FREEDOM HOUSE Freedom on the Net 2012 1 BURMA 2011 2012 POPULATION: 55 million Not Not INTERNET FREEDOM STATUS INTERNET PENETRATION 2011: 1 percent Free Free WEB 2.0 APPLICATIONS BLOCKED: Yes Obstacles to Access (0-25) 23 22 NOTABLE POLITICAL CENSORSHIP: Yes Limits on Content (0-35) 29 23 BLOGGERS/ICT USERS ARRESTED: Yes Violations of User Rights (0-40) 36 30 PRESS FREEDOM STATUS: Not Free Total (0-100) 88 75 * 0=most free, 100=least free NTRODUCTION I While the military junta that ruled Burma for decades was interested in expanding information and communication technologies (ICTs) for business and propaganda purposes, it also made aggressive attempts to restrict access to digital media and control online content. Elections in November 2010 changed this dynamic. Though widely condemned as flawed, the polls brought into office a nominally civilian government, led by former general Thein Sein and supported by a military-backed party, in March 2011. Since then, the political landscape has opened somewhat, with positive implications for internet freedom. Previously censored news websites have been unblocked, citizens imprisoned for their online activities have been released, and opposition political parties have been able to use online tools to mobilize supporters. Nevertheless, significant obstacles to greater internet freedom persist. Harsh media laws remain in effect and could be used at any time to punish a wide range of online expression, the technical censorship system appears intact, and some opposition blogs continue to be blocked. Consumer prices for ICTs are still among the highest in the world. Meanwhile, even as some members of the government and private sector begin to explore reforms to the telecommunications sector, new challenges have emerged, including weak coordination between different agencies and resistance from the military and government cronies who have lucrative vested interests in retaining the status quo. As such, the state continues to dominate the telecommunication sector, with few signs of upcoming fundamental reform. Although mobile phone use and the presence of cybercafes expanded in 2011, the quality of service for phones and internet connectivity is at times BURMA FREEDOM HOUSE Freedom on the Net 2012 2 excruciatingly poor and only a small percentage of the population has regular access to ICTs, particularly in rural areas.1 Where network infrastructure has improved, it has been biased towards the business sector or preparation for international events Burma is scheduled to host, such as the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2014. The state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT) company launched the first official email service in November 1997. The 2002 establishment of the first private internet service provider (ISP), Bagan Cybertech, helped to increase the number of users in the country, though the company was later taken over by the junta. The government’s first attempt to restrict internet freedom was through the 1996 Myanmar Computer Science Development Law,2 which made possession of an unregistered computer modem and connection to unauthorized computer networks punishable by up to 15 years in prison.3 Other laws passed later have reinforced a climate of fear and self-censorship surrounding online interactions, though in 2011, internet users pushed the boundaries of permissible speech and mobilized successful campaigns for political or social change. OBSTACLES TO ACCESS Poor infrastructure, the economic interests of state-owned companies, and widespread poverty are among the key factors that continue to limit Burmese citizens’ internet access and usage. Over the past two years, the number of internet users has notably increased, though it remains only a small fraction of Burma’s population of 54 million people. The precise scale of usage is difficult to ascertain, as independent surveys are not available and government statistics lack credibility. Nevertheless, according to government sources and a Burmese telecommunications expert, there were an estimated 500,000 internet users as of early 2012, amounting to almost 1 percent of the population;4 this was an increase from 5 110,000 (or 0.2) percent in 2009. 1 “Internet cafés must reapply for a business license,” Mizzima, May 27, 2011, http://www.mizzima.com/business/5333- internet-cafes-must-reapply-for-a-business-license.html. 2 In June 1989, the military junta changed the English rendering of the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar. Democracy activists and their foreign supporters, including the U.S. government, have continued using Burma. 3 Computer Science Development Law, September 20, 1996, Chapter X, https://www.myanmarisp.com/ICTnews/law10-96. 4 In February 2012, MCPT Minister Thein Tun reported to the Third Regular Session of Parliament that internet users increased to 500,000 in 2011-2012. “Third regular session of First Pyidaungsu Hluttaw continues,” The New Light of Myanmar XIX, no. 287 (February 2, 2012), http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/NLM2012-02-02.pdf. Kyaw Soe, head of the Burmese Telecom Training school also said at the Burmese Economic conference held on May 19, 2012 that there were 500,000 internet users in Burma. Author’s interview with conference attendee, June 25, 2012. The International Telecommunications Union cites a similar estimate in its 2011 statistics, likely drawn from government sources: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), “Percentage of individuals using the Internet, fixed (wired) Internet subscriptions, fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions,” 2011, accessed July 13, 2012, http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Indicators/Indicators.aspx#. 5 In Soo Kang, “Strategies for Operating National CERT of Myanmar,” ITU-ASEAN Subregional CSIRT/CIRT/CERT Workshop for CLMV, November 29 to December 1, 2011, Yangon, (Myanmar Korea Information Society Development Institute - KISDI) http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/asp/CMS/Events/2011/CIRTWkshp/S8_Dr_Insoo_Kang.pdf; “Myanmar introduces 1st BURMA FREEDOM HOUSE Freedom on the Net 2012 3 The price of a private internet connection is prohibitively expensive in a country where an estimated 26 percent of the population lives below the poverty line,6 though there is significant regional variation.7 According to the International Monetary Fund, the gross domestic product per capita was US$821 for 2011.8 By comparison, the installation cost and fees for broadband access range from US$625 to US$1,500 depending on the speed and connection method.9 For example, the monthly fee for ADSL service from the two main internet service providers (ISPs) ranges from US$35 for speeds of 128 Kbps to US$250 for 2 Mbps.10 This is in addition to installation costs of US$625 and the requirement to have a landline, a rare commodity in Burma.11 As a result of these barriers, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the fixed broadband subscription rate was only 0.06 percent in 2011, a figure that did not significantly change from the previous year.12 In the process of registering an internet connection, consumers must present their national ID, as well proof of police clearance and a personal affidavit affirming they are not involved in political activities. Because of such economic and regulatory barriers, most users rely on cybercafes, where access typically costs about 200 to 400 kyats (US$0.25 to US$0.50) per hour in major cities and about 500 to 600 kyats (US$0.60 to US$0.80) per hour in provincial towns, slightly less than two years ago.13 From mid-October 2011 until January 2012, internet connection speeds slowed dramatically to the point that in provincial towns, it took 45 to 90 minutes to telecommunication service call center,” Xinhua, December 21, 2011, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2011- 12/21/c_131320009.htm. 6 “Cooperative societies will be formed with bottom up initiative, not with top down policy,” The New Light of Myanmar, June 20, 2011, http://www.myanmargeneva.org/11nlm/jun/n110621.htm. “Myanmar: Country Profile: Human Development Indicators,” United Nations’ Human Development Index, accessed January 2, 2011, http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/MMR.html. 7 For example, Chin State has the highest poverty level, at more than 70 percent. These figures are likely to be conservative, as they are based on data collected before significant increases in fuel prices in October 2005 and August 2007, and an inflationary public sector salary hike in April 2006. Charles Petrie, End of Mission Report: UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative for Myanmar, 2003–2007, April 1, 2008, http://www.pyinnya.com/wp- content/uploads/2008/06/end-of-mission-report-by-charles-petrie-april-2008.pdf. 8 International Monetary Fund, “World Economic Outlook Database,” International Monetary Fund, April 2011, http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2009&ey=2016&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=co untry&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=88&pr1.y=5&c=518&s=NGDPDPC%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=#cs1. 9 Interviews with local journalists who cover the IT sector, December 12, 2011. See also “WiMax Installation Charges Change from FEC to Kyat,” Popular Journal [in Burmese],accessed January 2, 2012, http://popularmyanmar.com/mpaper/archives/28610 10 The exchange rate fluctuated throughout 2011, varying from 750 to 860 kyats per US dollar. This paper uses an average of 800 kyats per dollar for consistency. 11 “Internet Cafes Expect Lower Monthly Fee as the Number of Users Dwindles,” Popular Journal [in Burmese], accessed January 4, 2012, http://popularmyanmar.com/mpaper/archives/29866.; “Initial Installation Cost Reduced for Wimax Internet Service,” Popular Journal [in Burmese], http://popularmyanmar.com/mpaper/archives/32988. 12 International Telecommunication Union, “Fixed Broadband Subscriptions, 2000-2010 Data,” ITU, Updated in December 2011, http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/index.html. 13 “Declines in Cyber Cafe Users and Hourly Fee due to Slow Connection Speed,” Popular Journal [in Burmese], accessed January 7, 2012, http://popularmyanmar.com/mpaper/archives/29371.
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