BURMA DIGEST

                      A Campaign Journal for Human Rights of All Ethnic Nationalities in Burma          21.02.2007

 

 

Twenty Restrictions on Internet Cafes in Burma

 

Military regime recently tightened its restrictions on internet cafes in Burma to limit ordinary people’s internet access. The following are some of the rules imposed on internet cafes _

  • Customers’ National ID cards or passports must be checked

  • Customers’ names, addresses and contact numbers must be collected into a register

  • Screen-shots of users’ computers must be taken every five minutes, and stored

  • The date, time, accessed url(s) and screen shots must be compiled into CDs

  • Those CDs must be sent to Myanmar Info-Tech (regulator) every two weks

  • Computers in internet cafes must face to the outside so that they can be easily scrutinized by authorities as required

  • Only those email services supplied by government’s service provider must be made available. Other webmails such as Yahoo, Hotmail etc must not be allowed.

  • Tunnelling websites & softwares must not be used in internet cafes. [Softwares like psiphon which can be used to penetrate through regime’s firewall must not be used]

  • Any activities on the web which is not suitable for Burmese culture is prohibited. [Very vague rule indeed]

  • Political websites must not be accessed.

  • Online/offline gambling using computers must not be allowed.

  • Alcohol must not be allowed inside internet cafes. [To prevent people lingering in internet cafes.]

  • Speakers/sound-boxes must not be used. Only headphones are allowed inside internet cafes. [A strange rule]

  • Customers must not be allowed to use CD drives, floppy drives and USB ports on the computers in the internet cafes.

  • Users who want to download something from the internet must get prior permission from the internet café manager, and manager must keep a register of who downloaded what.

  • Internet Cafes must not open beyond 11:00 pm.

  • Internet Café owners must inform to authorities about any their customer’s any illegal or suspicious activities.

  • Internet Cafes must abide by all other rules and regulations laid down by Postal & Telecommunications Ministry, in addition to the above mentioned regulations.

(Translated by Dr. Tayza)

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Comments:

Feraya said _

This is crazy but not surprising of a paranoid regime.

Lay Mar said _

we need to have unity and to stop being split up as this is the tool that the military uses to quashed all opposition.

Sai Moon Tai said _

Not many people are able to follow every one of The Ten Commandments of Moses ----  it will be interesting to see just how many can follow these TWENTY Commandments of the Savage Police Dog Curs.
Thinking more closely to home, how many of the SPDC themselves are able to follow the Ngah Pah Thila, the 5 Sila Rules?  They cannot, and for them to expect people to follow their Thila Nhit Hsair, the 20 Sila Rules, is absolute nonsense.

T Navajyoti said _

Really surprising!

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