An Analysis : Critical Role of Bloggers and the Internet in Burma

Hello all.

I don’t normally post here, but the situation in Burma seems to have gotten more coverage on this end.  Plus everyone here seems to lean more towards my progressive political views anyways.

This is kind of long, but I think it’s worth reading all the way through if you are interested in how the internet is shaping current events and the world around us. 

In my last essay (ironically enough) I touched on the importance of the internet and the power we hold to spread the truth to the world instantly.  There has never been a situation that could prove a more perfect example than the uprising going on in Burma. 

If you ever doubted the power we have, this should change your mind.

To begin with I encourage you to actually click on the links I am going to provide.

If you’re like me you tend to just skim over some links or maybe ignore them all together. 

Although in this case, the point is to show online how to track and influence current events virtually.  Every link will give you a specific point and important information to view as the events unfolded. 

The internet is vast and navigating for obscure information can be a very effective skill.

I will use footnotes to indicate links that provide background information and are not part of the “internet tour” as it were.

Information on interpreting the links or other useful information will be noted in text below the main paragraph.  Burma is about a day ahead of us and reports were in from all over the world, so the time line was pretty difficult to put together.  If you find any error in the order of events email me and let me know.

Currently in Burma (also known as Myanmar) there is an uprising of the populace against a military rule and possible military coup taking place.  Their democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) has been under house arrest since 1990.  She made a brief appearance outside her home during the protests. 

The country is located in southern Asia and has an abundance of natural resources. [1] 

American company Chevron and the French-US company Total both control gas lines running through the region. [2]  The people there live in extreme poverty despite this resource and are ruled by a repressive military regime, where only the government is armed.

In 1988 there was an attempt at an uprising, but once protesters took to the streets the military killed an estimated 3,000 people.  At the time very few people outside the country even knew what happened.  Almost no pictures exist from this time and the death toll has never been confirmed.  Actually, the population of the country itself is suspect to speculation although it’s estimated around 52-55 million. 

The country is about 80-90% Buddhist, and the monks who live there are highly revered by the people, both politically and spiritually. 

After a recent over inflation of gas prices and the starving and malnutrition of the population due to poverty, the civil unrest has been growing.  This last week the monks decided to put their weight behind the cause of freedom and joined with student groups and political dissidents and took to the streets. [3]

This all sounds pretty standard as far as uprisings go. 

But there is one very, very important difference now. 

The students and the internet.

The more tech-savvy student groups have been communicating with exiled pro-democracy groups [4], and blogging about their experiences.

*The question marks are where the text would appear in Burmese.  I have the foreign language character sets installed on my computer, but the language is obscure/repressed and I have yet to find a code to show it.

People from all corners of the world have been reading about individuals lives, hopes and dreams online.  Each one had a story.  And each one had their voices heard around the world. 

*This link shows current internet traffic to the ko-htike blogging site linked above, which is a collection of bloggers communications from Burma.  The list on the left shows how many visitors are from each country and the map pinpoints worldwide locations and traffic.  This is constantly fluctuating.  After the internet had been shut off in Burma the map was filled worldwide with large dense red “hot spots” located mainly in the US and Europe.

Once the protest started growing and the people started feeling more confident to join in the streets, the government started cracking down.

* These links should be read from the bottom up for correct chronological order

The military starting raiding the Monastaries, attacking and killing the civilian protesters, open fired on student protesters, and shot and killed a Japanese reporter. 

Armed with the technology of cameras, cell phones and the internet word of the killings spread quickly around the world.  The most damning of the evidence was a video of the Japanase reporter being shot in the streets and he lay helpless.  His camera still in his hand. 

The Japanese media of course picked up the video and pictures and the public outrage increased.  The word was spreading even faster now.

Eye witness reports that had been coming on the BBC starting telling of the violence on the streets.  Incredible pictures and videos were posted worldwide.  The international community started alerting the UN and human rights organizations of the increasing violence.

The people of Burma started guarding the monk’s Monasteries with sticks and slingshots, banging on pots to warn of the coming military presence.

It was around this time the government there realized that the pictures, videos and information flowing out of the country needed to be stopped if they were to continue to violently quelsh the uprising and discourage the people from turning out en mass.

So what did they do?

They cut off internet access. 

They shut down phone lines, beat anyone they saw with cameras or cell phones and newspapers refusing to report pro-government messages shut down in protest.

And this is when things got really interesting.

I had read a few reports about the protests, and heard some about the violence.  On Friday I read that the internet had been shut down.  An obscure article on the TimesOnline gave a few links to blogging sites from people inside Burma.  I started reading their accounts.  Saw their pictures and was concerned that their voices were silenced by the cut-off of information so that mass killings could occur and no one would know.

I wrote a diary on DailyKos and found a few others had starting at the same time as well.  Most notedly to me, and ironically, CTLiberal had read the same article and composed a much better account.  koNko who has been covering the protests this week here also finally later made the recommended list.

I searched online and found that bloggers monitoring the situation had kicked it up into high gear.  From all over the world everyone who  could still tell their stories started writing, and emailing and communicating to anyone they could find the last messages to come out of Burma.

Surviving pictures and news links were passed world wide as groups from LA to Australia to Spain started organizing protests at the Burmese Embassies.  Translators and administrators worked to feed up to date events and eye witness accounts for those still inside Burma and those watching and waiting to help.

This should be read from the bottom up for the correct chronological order.

28 Sep 07, 13:04
Ko Hla: Most people believe that the junta is trying to cut all possible communication to control news and media about violence in Myanmar. Myanmar people in abroad are worrying that there will be more violence crackdown on peaceful protesters.
28 Sep 07, 13:02
Admin: some mobile lines and landlines in yangon r still working (confirmed) but the networks seem to be down.
28 Sep 07, 12:59
Ko Hla: I cannot call to Yangon Mobiles now. Until last 10 minutes, I can make a call to landline.
28 Sep 07, 12:58
Ko Hla: Message from Myanmar People to International community is simple: Help Us.
28 Sep 07, 12:49
Ko Hla: I still can call Yangon but the internet is very very slow to access website. They have to wait more than 1/2 hr to see a page.. need to refresh again and again..
28 Sep 07, 12:40
Ko Hla: Currently, all my friends in Yangon cannot connection to the Internet. They all are offline in Google Talk now.
28 Sep 07, 12:27
translator: Most of the connection from Burma seem to be down at the moment. Only some r available.
28 Sep 07, 12:24
translator: test
28 Sep 07, 12:16
Admin: We r getting further confirmation on this.
28 Sep 07, 12:16
Admin: Latest confirmed news : All connections from Burma seem to be cut off
28 Sep 07, 12:15
Admin: Registered Users : Pls only post the news from ko nick’s cobx
28 Sep 07, 12:12
forthecountry: test
28 Sep 07, 12:11
Ko Hla: Please Sing here to support Peaceful Protest in Burma http://www.avaaz.org…
28 Sep 07, 12:06
nyi nyi: 09:15AM: (YGN) There are 2 military trucks fully loaded with anti-riot police, 1 hilux and 3 dyna light trucks are waiting at the bus-stop near Ngwe-Kyar-Yan Monastry located at South Okkalapa .
28 Sep 07, 11:57
Admin: Registered users: Pls indicate whether the news is confirmed or not.
28 Sep 07, 11:56
Admin: Registered users: Pls click on “profile” below the box and log in and translate all the msgs from Ko Nik’s cbox
28 Sep 07, 11:53
Admin: test

* This chatbox would be posted on many different sites as the number of users steadily increased.  Here is the link to the direct chatbox.  

In my opinion this should be required reading for anyone who has ever used the internet. 

After you finish the essay I would strongly urge you to read from the beginning the entirety of the chatbox.  It is heartbreaking, uplifting and a perfect example of how the internet can, and should, be used.

This started a flood of emails and concerned groups to put immediate pressures on their own governments.  Most notably Japan because one of their reporters had been seen by the whole world (and is currently #2 highest viewed video on youtube) being gunned down in cold blood on the streets.

There were reports filtering in of a growing military coup and stronger resistance.  Once again please read bottom to top.

28 Sep 07, 15:02
translator: crowds gathering at San-Pya Market , Yangon, estimated 10,000 civilians
28 Sep 07, 15:01
Ko Hla: ** Sorry: Please read SanPya Market (instead of SanPay Market)
28 Sep 07, 14:59
Ko Hla: Now, there are 10,000 peopel are gathering near SanPay Market (ThinGyanKyun Township), Yangon
28 Sep 07, 14:57
Ko Hla: Offices of Quarter-PDCs are not open today and some officials run away. The based of government system is start falling apart. Keep it up.
28 Sep 07, 14:51
translator: from reliable source – there are a lot of monks are cuptured in Government Technical Institude at Insein, Yangon.
28 Sep 07, 14:43
Admin: there are civilians gathering at Thein-gyi Market at yangon – esitimated 50,000 civilians.
28 Sep 07, 14:41
Admin: batallion 66 has stood by the civilian’s side at North Oakkalar
28 Sep 07, 14:30
Admin: Reliable Source : Army Division 33 did not follow orders and hence, Army Division 99 was sent in by plan to fight them.
28 Sep 07, 14:27
Admin: There is high chance that Army Division 33 and 99 are fighting against each other. Still following the news.
28 Sep 07, 14:22
Admin: Unconfirmed reports say that there is heavy shooting in North Oakkalar are in Yangon
28 Sep 07, 14:19
translator: They will rage the war on people today before UN has arrived tomorrow!!!!
28 Sep 07, 14:06
Admin: reliable source – Army Division 22 (which was used during 1988 uprising) has been called back to Yangon
28 Sep 07, 13:52
Ko Hla: Please go and visit http://www.ko-htike…. for photos and an email from a Singaporean who is working in Yangon.
28 Sep 07, 13:45
Admin: we heard that around 10 thousand ppl have gathered near traders hotel now
28 Sep 07, 13:43
Ko Hla: Myanmar army is start shotting in North Oakkalapa
28 Sep 07, 13:42
Ko Hla: From a reliable source: Commander of Army Division 33, B. General Tin Htun Aung refused to shoot monks and people in Mandalay. There are many soldiers in the army who are willing to join the peaceful protest.
28 Sep 07, 13:42
forthecountry: just received an email from Yangon.

And this is how you use the internet to help overthrow an oppressive military regime. 

Impressive right?

It was announced that Japan had condemned the killings and that the Deputy Foreign Minister was on his way to Burma to demand an explanation for killing the reporter.  The UN planned an emergency meeting and scrambled an envoy. 

The comments during this time on ko-htike blog come from all the world.  People offer assistance, recent information and contact information.

News is almost at a standstill and stays silent for about 5 or 6 hours over the night.

MoveOn.org sent out a mass email informing it’s 3 million + members of the violence, communication shut down and urgency to stand, worldwide behind the people of Burma.

I spend the time searching Goggle blogs tagged with Burma and sorting my the most recent to see if I can find anything new.  A few unconfirmed reports filter in until it is daytime in Burma and the internet had been back up for about an hour or two.

A worldwide Facebook group posted the news feeds out of Burma as links to any information flowing out of the country were encouraged to be emailed to major news media outlets. 

Word of the UN envoy (and the time it would be arriving) and worldwide support got back to the people in Burma in time for them to plan accordingly and spread the news.

Once again, bottom to top.

29 Sep 07, 17:10
Ko Hla: From a reliable source: Due to the UN special envoy visiting, the military forces are orderd for only warning shoot and not to crack down brutally as before. The forces only shoot to warn the protesters in Yangon’s Chinatown.
29 Sep 07, 16:53
Ko Hla: Please try to pass this message to the people. Request them to participate the protests.
29 Sep 07, 16:50
Ko Hla: According a reliable source, the military force is not given order to shoot the protesters.
29 Sep 07, 16:42
Ko Hla: Now, more than ten thousands of people are protesting near Iron Market (ThanZay) in downtown Yangon. We can hear slogans shouted by protesters. The military force arrived but there is not shooting until now.
29 Sep 07, 16:39
Ko Hla: People assume that the military force will not shoot today due to the visit of the UN special envoy and disagreements among junta’s generals. Protesters are urging more people to participate to grasp this opportunity to keep the momentum of the peaceful protest.
29 Sep 07, 16:28
Ko Hla: People’s protests are continued today. People are disciplined and peacefully protesting now.
29 Sep 07, 16:25
Ko Hla: In Mandalay, monks have requested people to watch out for own security due to military and thugs raids in monasteries. Monks suggested fellow-monks and people make warning sound by hitting hollow-wood-gongs or tin-containers when soldiers, police or stranger com in to quarters. This kind of arrangement should be announced in Yangon city as well.
29 Sep 07, 16:11
Ko Hla: We request all government employees, private companies’ employee and all workers not to go to work and participate in General Strike. Everyone is suffering from absolute poverty. This is the time to participate to overthrow Brutal Military Regime. So everyone please participate to show our unity, to get our freedom, to get out from the poverty. THIS IS THE TIME TO ACT.
29 Sep 07, 16:11
Ko Hla: Special Announcement: Everyone has known and seen how the military is brutal now. They have brutally beaten and shot Buddhist Monks and people who have been peacefully protested. We urge to start countrywide General Strike from coming Monday.
29 Sep 07, 15:46
Ko Hla: Myanmar military helicopters are patrolling around 42nd street and 45th street in Mandalay where protests started yesterday. Schools in Mandalay are closed but teachers are forced to stay in school offices.
29 Sep 07, 15:26
Ko Hla: The military force blocks all 4 roads leading to Sule Pagoda. Peaceful protest starts in Yangon now.
29 Sep 07, 15:05
Ko Hla: We hear from Yangon that the military regime will arrange Trader hotel as place to stay for Ibrahim Gambari , the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor, during his visit. Then the regime will show him faked protest by government backed USDA members near that hotel.
29 Sep 07, 14:42
Ko Hla: A peaceful protest in Yangon also starts in ShweBonTha Street in downtown.
29 Sep 07, 14:41
Ko Hla: Today peaceful protest starts in YayNanChaung Township of Magwe Division, and also in TaungGoke and Sittwe Township of Rakkhine State.

The wide ranging support of the global community and word of arriving diplomatic help gave hope to the protesters.  When the news feed came through to get the word out to the people, I watched the number of users in the chatbox drop from about 950 down to 454. 

The combination of messaging, calls and the internet allowed the people in Burma to plan for mass peace protests while the UN envoy was present and they would be relatively safe.

29 Sep 07, 17:49
Ko Hla: Democratic Voice of Burma has just aired the interview with an activist – Ms. Su Su Nway. She is about to leave her home for protesting.
29 Sep 07, 17:47
Ko Hla: New Delhi, Sept. 29 (PTI): Scores of Myanmarese refugees today took out a march here to protest the violent response of the military junta against pro-democracy rallies in their homeland, and asked India to intervene to stop bloodshed in its neighbourhood. Details: http://www.hindu.com…
29 Sep 07, 17:44
Ko Hla: Protesting starts in Pakokku Township (In where the military force shots were fired over protesting monks on September 5.)
29 Sep 07, 17:36
Ko Hla: Current News: There is protesting going on at Phone-Gyi Road. Most of the protesters are high school students, estimated about 70,000 protesters.
29 Sep 07, 17:36
Ko Hla: Please read full in http://www.channelne…
29 Sep 07, 17:35
Ko Hla: United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari flew out of Singapore to Myanmar at about 2:50 pm (0650 GMT) on Silk Air flight MI 518 which is expected to reach Myanmar’s main city of Yangon two hours 45 minutes later.

The internet should be mandatory.

Being able to immediately counter their own governments lies and gather millions of devoted people to spread the truth saved thousands of peoples lives, brought hope to democracy in the country and united hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

29 Sep 07, 19:31
Ko Hla: Mr. Gambari MUST GO TO Yangon. People are dying and protesting at Yangon. Naypyidaw is a ghost town where only government officials and generals reside. Please… if someone from UN reading this message, contact Mr. Gambri NOW and insist that he must see Yangon. Help us!! Help Myanmar (Burma).
29 Sep 07, 19:29
Ko Hla: YANGON : United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari arrived in Myanmar on Saturday and was headed straight to the capital, Naypyidaw, for talks with government leaders, diplomatic sources said. Details: http://www.channelne…
29 Sep 07, 19:21
Ko Hla: We have received photos of patriot Myanmar and people around the world wearing red-shirt showing our hour to those who sacrifice their lives and stand strongly behind the people who are brave protesting even thought the junta crackdown brutally. Thank You for the support.
29 Sep 07, 18:50
Ko Hla: There will be a special news about Myanmar Military on DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) tonight. Not only the people but also military personnel should listen to that news.

Because we could read their story they became our friends.  We heard of their struggles and wanted to help.  I think if internet access was available to everyone we could prevent genocide.  Imagine what the world would be like if Anne Frank would have had a blog.

If as soon as it started those with no voice in their own country could be heard around the world and the same type of response elicited, quicker action could be taken politically to intervene before they got out of hand. 

They were no longer voiceless people who died while no one noticed.  The people in Bruma who died were mourned worldwide regardless of how much money they had, their circumstances in life, or government intimidation and tactics.  They were loved and mourned on every corner of the Earth.  Instantly.

I’m actually surprised the front page of DailyKos did not have a community call to aid in spreading their message.  For a community of bloggers, this should be our purpose.

This indicates a very crucial turning point in the role of the internet. 

With a free exchange of thought there can be true democracy.  When the most oppressed can speak the truth and learn the truth, then we really can all be equal and free. 

You find out that we all want the same things.  We all want to live our lives without fear, with freedom and with happiness. 

Multinational Corporations have their grubby little fingers in every region of the world, oppressing the people and stealing their resources.  There are millions and millions of people suffering because of this.  And now we can all band together online and tell each other about it. 

The trick to ruling over people is to convince them that they do not hold power. 

That is very hard to do when you can gather the support of the whole world in a day and a half by writing a blog. 

Comment sections of the blogs were filled worldwide with people who had previously lived in oppressive regimes and political uprising who voiced their support.

I truly admire the Burmese’s bravery and sacrifice in the aim for democracy, it is definitely not something we see everyday. DOn’t give up, the rest of the world is praying for you guys!

Grace from Taipei, Taiwan.

28 September 2007 16:35

Dear Ko Hitke,

Those of us who fight despotic regimes have so much in common with each other. As an Iranian who opposes the theocracy in Iran I am 100% with your people. Your victory will be our victory and your defeat will be ours.

Long live freedom!

28 September 2007 16:58

Is there any way to help?
I’ve been to Burma in January. My heart is broken.
I know what you’re going through as I’m a Romanian and I experienced dictatorship. (the bloody Romanian revolution in ’89).
Solidarity is the solution!
I hope Burma will be a free country soon.
Thank you!
From Bucharest, Romania

28 September 2007 17:55

dear ko htike !

please let your people know that we are urging our goverment and china to act.

resist!
democracy for burma!

sophee from austria

28 September 2007 18:29

Imagine reading that when the days are darkest for you.  When you are poor, hungry, and scared.  When your friends and family are being gunned down in the streets, when those in your community are rounded up and taken off in trucks.  To know that in every corner of the world there are people watching, praying and hoping for you.

Businesses always talk about globalization and how great it is for them and making money.  Globalization will not lead to strong ruling corporations.  It will lead to people all over the globe uniting for the common cause of hope.  We have always outnumbered them.  We just couldn’t unite before this because we didn’t have billions of dollars in resources to do so.  Now all you need is an internet connection.

This story of resistance and hope will spread to those who need to hear it in other countries.  They would have learned from Burma how to communicate globally to assist them in their own revolutions.  The world will stand by them as the true horrors of oppressive rule and corporate greed spread around the world.  Voices will not be lost.  They will be preserved and their message spread.

The events are still unfolding, so follow along and put pressure where it’s needed.

There is a tool written by human rights advocates that lets people in repressed countries access the web through your connection.

* Edited to change the term oil lines to gas lines.  I had originally confused the two.