Among the many hardships that come with living under military rule, urban people now face the threat of arrest for performing everyday activities such as withdrawing money from banks or queueing at fuel stations. The trend emerged after pro-Myanmar junta Telegram channels started urging authorities to check those who queue in front of banks and fuel stations, saying such people aim to cause panic among the public.
Withdrawals surged in November after revolutionary forces seized a number of towns and the public lost confidence in the banks. At the same time, long lines of cars formed outside fuel stations this month amid a fuel shortage. Although these activities were simply the result of people taking care of their basic needs, the pro-junta telegram channels saw them as attempts to defame the military council.
“Cars unnecessarily queuing in front of petrol stations need to have their numbers noted and be checked,” the Han Nyein Oo Telegram channel said on Nov. 19.
A Yangon resident said the situation had deteriorated to the point that people feared arrest just for queuing for petrol.
It is just the latest threat that Myanmar people face from such pro-military activists.
Internet users have been extorted for money by pro-junta Telegram channels, which threaten to disclose their information online and have them arrested by the police.
After being banned from Facebook, military supporters turned to Telegram to hunt for revolutionary forces and others who oppose the military council, while also using it for personal gain through extortion.
Currently, more than 120 pro-junta Telegram channels operate as a network, sharing hate speech and calling for the arrest of civilians for a range of alleged offenses, according to the Beautifier of Diversity Network, which monitors pro-regime Telegram channels.
They hunt and expose civil servants who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and their supporters, People’s Defense Force (PDF) members and supporters, National Unity Government supporters, anti-junta philanthropists, business owners and ordinary civilians who post and share information about anti-junta movements and participate in anti-junta strikes online.
Currently, they are demanding money from civilians in exchange for removing posts about them from their channels.
In just one example, Han Nyein Oo posted that it removed information about two women in September and October, apologizing and promising not to share posts about pro-democracy activists again.
According to research by The Irrawaddy, Han Nyein Oo alone—which has more than 60,000 subscribers—called for the arrest of 38 people within a three-month period, of whom 18 were arrested, including some residents of Mandalay who were picked up by police within hours of the posts appearing on Telegram.
A monitor from the Beautifier of Diversity Network, which has been monitoring 13 pro-junta Telegram channels, said there were many examples of posts disappearing from the Han Nyein Oo Telegram channel within hours or days of being posted.
“They never declare on their channels that they ask for money to remove such posts. However, we heard that a kind of negotiation occurs. If someone gives money to them, they remove the post and there will be no more arrests,” a monitor told The Irrawaddy.
Police involved in extortion
Ma Aye Myo fled from her house as soon as she received an urgent phone call from a friend who told her she was in danger of being arrested by the police. Ma Aye Myo’s Facebook account, address and business address were shared by pro-junta Telegram channels after she wrote a comment about the revolution under a Facebook post by a pro-democracy activist in July.
“I luckily remained free that night because I was warned by my friend,” Ma Aye Myo said.
However, her husband, two sons and two employees were arrested by police that night. Her husband had to pay 1,000,000 kyats (US$320) to polices to secure the group’s release. The arrests came after the Ka Ka Han Telegram channel called for the detention of Ma Aye Myo, alleging that she had criticized the regime online.
“They were released at midnight. My family apologized to the police many times to get them released,” Ma Aye Myo explained.
Pro-junta activists’ network
This year, pro-junta activists have expanded their targets, sharing the Facebook accounts and addresses of Myanmar citizens who live abroad, alleging that they support the National Unity Government and calling on the junta authorities not to renew their passports.
It appears to be working. Some Myanmar citizens in Singapore were not allowed to renew their passports in October, and their family members in Myanmar have been threatened by the pro-junta Telegram channels.
“Their network is really strong and well connected. Once, Ka Ka Han Telegram channel said their organization works with at least 20 members [operating the channel] around the country,” a monitor at Beautifier of Diversity Network told The Irrawaddy. They have also called for the arrest of civilians who write comments under online media pages and under posts by pro-democracy activists on Facebook.
“Arrests always occur. Especially if there is an online anti-dictatorship movement—then there are more arrests,” a monitor from the network said.
More than 1,300 internet users have been arrested over the past 19 months for criticizing the military council and supporting anti-junta movements and revolutionary organizations on social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok and Telegram, according to the independent organization Data for Myanmar. About half of those arrested were from Yangon and Mandalay regions.
The military council has announced that action will be taken against those who post “propaganda,” threats or “encouragement” of anti-junta movements on social networks, under Section 52 (A) of the Anti-Terrorism Law, Section 124 (A) and Section 505 (A) of the Penal Code, and Section 33 (A) of the Electronic Communication Act and other relevant laws.
Data for Myanmar said about 65 people are arrested for writing and communicating anti-junta comments via social networks every month.
How to protect oneself?
People who have been threatened by pro-junta Telegram channels suggested Facebook users lock their profiles and not comment under media pages and pro-democracy activists’ posts using their real profiles.
Pro-junta Telegram channels are run by people with no humanity and no sympathy for others, who have various means of obtaining the personal information of those they target, a monitor at Beautifier of Diversity Network said.
“They urge [authorities] to arrest the parents if they don’t get the son. They are such cruel people that they call for the seizure of property from all targeted people—even from parents who are arrested despite having nothing to do with the revolution,” she told The Irrawaddy.
Therefore, internet users need to be very careful and check their friend lists on Facebook, she added.
“Instead of letting people know about your movements, it is time to hide your participation in the revolution,” she said.
