Sandi Sein TheinWrite-ups
Dancing soldiers on TikTok and warfare on Telegram: The new normal of the Burmese military’s digital influence
Platform Accountability in Authoritarian Contexts: TikTok and Telegram in Myanmar
Four years after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the nature of digital repression has evolved significantly. The military has shifted from overt tactics, such as nationwide internet shutdowns, to more nuanced strategies involving psychological warfare, algorithmic manipulation, and targeted harassment. Platforms like TikTok and Telegram have been increasingly exploited for these purposes, amplifying propaganda and facilitating gendered and political harassment. This policy brief evaluates three potential approaches to address this issue: maintaining the status quo, implementing nationally regulated content moderation, and establishing an international accountability framework with localized human rights-based moderation. Drawing from global regulatory models, including the European Union's Digital Services Act and African civil-tech partnerships, this brief argues that a hybrid international-local oversight system offers the most promising path to ensuring platform accountability and digital rights in Myanmar.
Digital Repression after the Coup : Myanmar's Expanding Toolkit of Control
Since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, the junta has intensified digital authoritarianism through expanded surveillance, disinformation campaigns, targeted arrests, and frequent internet shutdowns. This policy brief evaluates the crisis and proposes three strategic options: maintaining the status quo, launching a digital literacy campaign, and forming an international digital security coalition. After evaluating effectiveness, feasibility, and public support, this brief recommends a coordinated international response to protect digital freedoms and civic space.
Digital Authoritarianism: Implications of Military’s Social Media Repression on the Lives of Online Activism Participants Post-2021 Coup
Burma VJ
Provides an in-depth analysis of the documentary Burma VJ, focusing on its portrayal of citizen journalism under authoritarian rule and its role in amplifying suppressed voices during the Saffron Revolution.
Limiting Poverty Porn Substance on Myanmar’s Online Media Channels to Preserve the National Image
“Poverty porn”, a media content that exploitatively portrays the lives of underprivileged people for the sake of sensationalism on online media channels (Facebook, Youtube & Tik Tok), has become an ethical problem. The portrayal commonly degrades the participants' dignity, reinforces stereotypes, and misrepresents the cause of poverty. The suggested policies to address this issue take a holistic approach, including setting guidelines for media reporting by establishing a content monitoring group to verify compliance, conducting media literacy training programs to encourage ethical journalism and enforcing positive narrative contents. The implications of such policies implementation are a more dignified representation of disadvantaged communities, a reduction in widespread of exploitative content, and an improved international image for Myanmar by creating a holistic and professional media environment that supports ethical norms and responsible journalism.
A new crisis has emerged: the outpouring of refugees from Myanmar into Thailand.
Thailand’s Pushback on Myanmar Refugees: A Call for Hope and Humanity
A substantial influx of refugees from Myanmar has occurred as a result of the ongoing civil war and political unrest, with many seeking asylum in Thailand. The current situation, worsened by the military takeover in February 2021 and the implementation of mandatory military service in 2024, presents significant humanitarian difficulties. Thailand' s response to the increasing number of migrants not only raises human rights issues but also emphasizes the immediate necessity for a caring and optimistic approach to managing refugees.
Sexuality & Reproductive Education for Girls and Women in IDP Camps: Ignorance Leads to Social and Life Difficulties in Times of Conflict
The proposed policies that have been made to address the inadequacy of sex and reproductive education for girls and women who are currently residing in IDP camps may be considered by the Ministry of Healthcare. Lack of sexual education leads to unintended pregnancies, pregnancies among teenagers, poor menstrual health, and the transmission of sexual infections in camps housing people who have been forced to escape their homes as a result of civil wars in most other parts of the region. Since the beginning of the conflicts across the country, and with the increasing incidence of internally displaced people, it is essential to provide reproductive education to eliminate this discrepancy and protect girls and women from the risks that can change their lives.