Can You Control The Internet, Can The Myanmar Military Junta Access Social Media Accounts And Private Messages, Assisted By China?

The Myanmar military deployed armored vehicles after staging a coup. (Twitter @SellieSwan)

JAKARTA - The Myanmar Military Junta continues to take strategic steps to strengthen its position after staging a coup on February 1. One of the concerns of the Myanmar military is the problem of information technology, especially the internet network.

Although it is able to control the media, related to the coup carried out last week, the Myanmar military cannot restrict access and dissemination of information through internet services, especially on social media such as Twitter and Facebook, which are widely used to inform about the current conditions in Myanmar.

Most recently, the Myanmar Military Junya reportedly asked the IT community to review a draft new cyber law that would restrict digital rights, free speech and access to online information in Myanmar. Under the law, all individual electronic data will be controlled by the regime.

Internet service providers will be instructed to store data for each customer including internet protocol addresses, telephone numbers, national identification numbers, addresses, and activity history for three years, according to the bill.

"The authorities can also access information on a private individual's social media accounts at any time. They can also intercept chat messages sent via social media platforms, if they detect suspicious activity," according to an IT expert reported by The Irrawaddy.

An IT company owner who asked not to be identified said only China had the technology needed to support such a firewall for a military regime. IT companies will have to follow new cyber laws when they come into force.

“Under the new law, IT companies are required to provide their user data to the authorities. No one will be safe, we will all be watched by the (Military Junta). That's my biggest concern, "he explained.

Suspicion of China's possible involvement in building a firewall for the Myanmar Military Junta grew stronger after Myanmar social media users published a list of five cargo flights from Kunming, the capital of China's Yunan Province that arrived at Yangon International Airport on Tuesday.

The list went viral, with social media users speculating that China sent IT technicians to help the Myanmar military build a firewall, prompting a mass of protesters to stage a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Yangon, asking the country to stop supporting the Myanmar Military Junta.

China has rejected accusations that it is helping the Myanmar military build firewalls to block social media, popular search engines including Google and virtual private networks (VPNs).

The Chinese Embassy shared a statement from the Chinese Company Chamber of Commerce saying the rumors were false. The Chinese Embassy asked people in Myanmar not to spread rumors on social media.

The statement explained that flights between China and Myanmar were regular cargo flights and only carried imported goods such as seafood.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry in its announcement denied any rumors related to any support or assistance for the coup carried out by the Myanmar Military Junta.

“The relevant theory is incorrect. As Myanmar's friendly neighbors, we hope that all parties in Myanmar can properly resolve their differences, and uphold political and social stability, "Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

To note, last week the military junta banned Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the most popular social media sites among the Myanmar people, after the civil disobedience movement against the military coup emerged on the platform.