A total of 114 women are among 374 individuals arrested and detained for exercising their freedom of expression online, according to a recent report by the Myanmar Internet Project (MIP).

The report, titled “The Military Junta’s Digital Repression Ecosystem” and released in late May, compiled data based on official announcements made by the military junta between February 2022 and July 2024.

The findings show that since the 2021 coup, the military junta has significantly intensified digital repression by implementing internet shutdowns, deploying surveillance technologies, and weaponizing unjust laws to silence dissent.

These measures have created an environment of severe anxiety for everyday citizens, prompting widespread self-censorship.

A female resident of Yangon said, “I had deleted all previous posts, including old protest photos, and eventually switched to a new phone to ensure no sensitive data remained before traveling outside.”

Furthermore, the MIP report highlights that internet shutdowns pose severe physical dangers to women, including women’s rights activists. Because users are forced to travel to remote locations to find a signal, they face increased risks of violence and intensified gender-based discrimination.

A source who recently managed to contact family in Rakhine State described the arduous journeys required to bypass regional disruptions, stating that individuals in the Thandwe area must travel over 10 miles or make overnight trips by motorcycle or car, followed by a two-hour hike up a mountain just to access phone services.

Due to the ongoing communications blackout, it was the first time in over two years the source was able to reconnect with their family.

The MIP report documents and analyzes these lived experiences, concluding that the junta’s pervasive digital crackdown directly enables the targeted harassment and intimidation of women’s rights defenders and pro-democracy activists across the country.