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Rights advocacy groups in Myanmar have demanded the immediate restoration of internet access in the country's western Rakhine state where soldiers and ethnic rebels are accused of committing fresh rights violations against civilians.
Myanmar government directed all mobile service providers to temporarily block Internet access in eight townships in northern parts of Rakhine state and one in adjacent Chin state where fighting between the government troops and an ethnic Buddhist rebel group intensified over the past months.
The government said the ban, which went into effect late Thursday, was to maintain stability and law and order in these areas, however, local rights groups voiced concern on the block of information flow online.
A total of 18 groups and individuals, mostly advocating for the greater freedom of expression, condemned the ban on Monday, saying more than one million residents in these areas lost access to Internet.
The groups said in a joint statement that the decision to shut down the Internet without any prior notice or limitation "clearly infringes" the rights to freedom of expression and information.
Yin Yadanar Thein from Free Expression Myanmar, a local advocacy group, said the ban would only reduce the availability of information about the armed conflict and its impact on civilians.
"It would not reduce the armed conflicts. It would not also help the authority to protect civilians from conflicts and its impact," she told Anadolu Agency by phone.
"So the ban must be lifted immediately and unconditionally," she said.
The groups also called on the government to review the telecommunication law and amend it to be in line with international standards. -
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