Culture

Revolution Blogging 101: Yangon bloggers outsmart Myanmar censors

by TheBigRuski | September 25, 2007 at 07:49 pm

364 views | 14 Recommendations | 7 comments

Keep on blogging in the free world! I know those poor people in Belarus were trying to do something similar a couple years ago, but the numbers, publicity and momentum were just not there. Things appear different here.

Yangon bloggers outsmart Myanmar censors

BANGKOK (AFP) - Savvy young bloggers in Myanmar are breaking through the military junta's tight Internet controls to post photos and videos of swelling anti-government protests, experts said Tuesday.

The government blocks almost every website that carries news or information about the Southeast Asian country, and even bars access to web-based email.

But an army of young techies in Yangon works around the clock to circumvent the censors, posting pictures and videos on blogs almost as soon as the protests happen.

Many of these images have been picked up by mainstream news organisations, because bloggers have managed to capture images that no one else can get.

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

PEP

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:29 on September 26th, 2007

TheBigRuski,very good stuff indeed! Shows the power of "living the news cycle", as we like to say here @ NP. I'm delighted to hear that they are keeping ahead of censors, and I hope they don't wind up in jail or worse.

ryan

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:44 on September 26th, 2007

TheBigRuski, the internet as the master medium of freedom of expression is historically unmatched and its power to exert change is still unrealized.

TheBigRuski

at 06:51 on September 26th, 2007

Reports of deaths today.

gryphon

at 08:22 on September 26th, 2007

I remember writing Amnesty letters to release Aung San Suu Kyi way back in the 90's. There was momentum and publicity then. But the dictatorship is just too powerfull for a culture based on peace and non-violence. I hope this time there is progress and teh suffering of the innocent Bumese is ended.

Great movie on teh topic: Beyond Rangoon

Barbara McPherson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:23 on September 26th, 2007

This is amazing. It's an example of the Internet at its best!

Kaitlin

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:35 on September 26th, 2007

TheBigRuski, thanks for this. Let's hope these people are able to keep communicating with the world, even as the monks are being persecuted. Great work.