Cyberspace and Freedom of Expression in Post-Coup Myanmar

We were poised to generate a series of six research papers on digital rights and policy when the February 2021 military coup irrevocably changed Myanmar’s political environment. While the series was canceled, Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) approached the project team to see if post-coup research on digital issues was still viable. Supported by this partnership, a small team of young female researchers undertook this truly unique and important study.

Myanmar’s democratic transition (2011-2021) saw several reforms that enhanced access to fundamental rights, although Freedom of expression (FoE) remained contingent. During this period, cyberspace emerged as a new avenue for people’s civic and political engagement and political engagement and created new pathways for citizens to claim the right to FoE. Following the military coup of 1st February 2021, FoE came under attack and new restrictions completely collapsed FoE. This research report presents the findings of study into the characteristics of online FoE in post-coup Myanmar.