Thinzar Shunlei Yi criticises the Myanmar government decision of discontinuing internet service in Rakhine

News Desk:

Political activist of Myanmar Thinzar Shunlei Yi criticises the Myanmar government decision of discontinuing internet service in Rakhine. She said that such telecommunications embargoes can be designed to foil members of the political opposition as well. And they can particularly hurt vulnerable communities in conflict areas, who depend on internet connections to keep them out of the crossfire or publicize abuses in remote locations. It is to be mentioned that Rakhine State, a ribbon of marsh and mountain on the western coast of Myanmar, is isolated in the best of times, racked by guerrilla warfare and ethnic cleansing that takes place far from international scrutiny.
Now, an internet blackout has all but severed parts of the state from the outside world, in a dramatic display of how easily a government can silence a population in the digital age.