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Featured image credits: Adirach Toumlamoon \/ Shutterstock.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Listen<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to this post<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

The first SIM card I bought in Myanmar in 2014 cost 120 $. It took minutes to load an email in some places. A year later, SIM cards were available for around a dollar, and international telecommunication enterprises had begun major operations in the country. 4G soon had better coverage in Myanmar than in some areas of Germany.
After decades of utter isolation and military dictatorship, Myanmar lived through a hopeful period of reforms and near-democracy between 2011 and 2021. International development cooperation, investments, tourism, local businesses, media and civil society flourished. Myanmar became a booming frontier economy.<\/p>\n

Since the military coup in February 2021, the country is going dark again. Quite literally, as electricity is limited to a few hours per day. An utterly corrupt and brutal regime is ruling some parts of the country while losing grip on others due to a well-organized and community-based armed resistance. The junta’s response to this resistance is to cut off the so-called People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) from the support of the people, mainly through large-scale military operations and air strikes<\/a> that often target civilians. Aside from the casualties and the devastating humanitarian impact<\/a> of these operations, more than 4,100 protestors and activists<\/a> have been killed in Myanmar since the coup. More than 25,000 people have been arrested for political reasons.<\/p>\n

DAILY UPDATE 06\/10\/23 DAY 978

4,142 killed (+1)
25,256 total arrested (+8)
19,669 still detained (+8)

brief https:\/\/t.co\/uK8mBykV95<\/a>

arrested https:\/\/t.co\/p0jxeNOAHS<\/a>
still detained https:\/\/t.co\/z2M1vad8Zx<\/a>
killed https:\/\/t.co\/Qp1eDlO4Se<\/a>
released https:\/\/t.co\/sEbb7u2aLs<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/0fVcSBvTdR<\/a><\/p>— AAPP (Burma) (@aapp_burma) October 6, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>