[Myanmar] Tor direct connections and bridges usage increase (2024-05-30)

It seems the military junta started to block VPNs and other online services in some regions of Myanmar https://www.facebook.com/100066528465996/posts/815658580661750/

In Myanmar, VPNs are no longer connected, and Facebook pages and messengers cannot be used Yangon, May 30

Residents of Yangon and Mandalay told the Yangon Modern News Agency that they are no longer able to connect to VPNs in Myanmar and cannot access Facebook pages and messengers. "Starting this morning, I can't connect to VPNs. I can't connect to the VPN I use regularly. I asked the wifi company to use another VPN. I can connect, but I can't see anything when I open Facebook. Photos and texts don't appear. Messenger can only type. I can't talk on the phone," said a resident of Maungone Township.

Yangon New Age News contacted a Yangon-based internet fiber line service company, and it was informed that it has blocked the use of VPNs with software from China. It is said that there are a lot of phone calls today morning and afternoon saying that the VPNs that people are familiar with are not working. A source close to Myanmar's telecommunications industry said that since February of this year, the Military Council has awarded a tender to a Chinese company to build a Great Firewall that can block VPNs. On March 14 of this year, he told Yangon New Times that he had heard news that the Chinese company was building Great Firewalls based in Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon. "There have been reports for a long time that they will make Great Firewalls like China. We do not know exactly which Chinese company," a source close to Myanmar's telecommunications industry said on March 14 of this year. After the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, the military council officially banned the use of Facebook social network in Myanmar, so people have to use a VPN to use Facebook social network. (machine translated)

Metrics

Direct connections

https://metrics.torproject.org/userstats-relay-country.html?start=2024-03-07&end=2024-06-05&country=mm&events=off

Bridges

Related: #40016 (2021)

Edited Jun 05, 2024 by Gus