Myanmar’s military government blocked public access to Facebook Thursday amid growing popular resistance to this week’s overthrow of the country’s civilian government.
The Ministry of Communications and Information issued a statement saying the social media giant would be blocked until Sunday in order to keep “stability” in the country.
Telenor Myanmar, the country’s leading mobile network operator, confirmed it had been ordered to block Facebook, but said it “does not believe that the request is based on necessity and proportionality, in accordance with international human rights law.”
The U.S based company urged Myanmar’s military leaders to “restore connectivity” in order to ensure citizens “can communicate with family and friends and access important information.”
Facebook is the most popular social media platform in Myanmar, used by civilians and military leaders alike.
