Myanmar junta shuts Twitter and Instagram to curb protests

Military authorities in charge of Myanmar broened a ban on social media following this week's coup and shut Twitter and Instagram, as residents in biggest city again banged pots and plastic bottles to show ir opposition to army takeover.

In dition to Facebook and related apps, military government on Friday ordered communications operators and internet service providers to cut access to Twitter and Instagram. statement said that some people are trying to use both platforms to spre fake news.

Netblocks, which tracks social media disruptions and shutdowns, confirmed loss of Twitter service starting 10 p.m. Instagram was alrey subject to restrictions.

Teler, a rway-based telecommunications company operating in Myanmar though a subsidiary, said it h complied with order but also challenged “ necessity and proportionality of directive.”

State media are heavily censored and Facebook in particular has become main source of news and information in country. It is also used to organize protests.

For fourth night Friday, cacophony of ise from windows and balconies reverberated through commercial capital of Yangon, as resistance to coup and arrests of activists and politicians gared steam.

Earlier Friday, nearly 300 members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party declared mselves as sole legitimate representatives of people and asked for international recognition as country’s government.

y were supposed to take ir seats Monday in a new session of Parliament following vember elections when military anunced it was taking power for a year.  military accused Suu Kyi and her party of failing to act on its complaints that election was fraudulent, though election commission said it h found evidence to support claims.

In New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged Friday that United Nations will do everything it can to unite international community and create conditions for military coup in Myanmar to be reversed.

He told a news conference it is “absolutely essential” to carry out Security Council’s calls for a return to democracy, respect for results of vember elections, and release of all people detained by military, “which means reversal of coup that took place.”

Guterres said Christine Schraner Burgener, U.N. special envoy for Myanmar, h a first contact with military since coup and expressed U.N.’s strong opposition to takeover.

According to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, she reiterated to Deputy Commander-in-Chief Vice Gen. Soe Win “ secretary-general’s strong condemnation of military’s action that disrupted democratic reforms that were taking place in country.” In dition to 134 officials and lawmakers who were detained in coup, ar 18 activists also are being held, said Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Myanmar.

On Thursday, authorities arrested four among about 20 protesters who h gared outside University of Medicine in Mandalay to oppose coup. On Friday, Suu Kyi’s senior aide, Win Htein, was picked up in Mayangone township. He told BBC in a phone call early Friday that he was being arrested for sedition, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Suu Kyi and President Win Myint are also under house arrest and have been charged with mir offenses, seen by many as merely providing a legal veneer for ir detention. She was described by her party as being in good health.

In largest rallies since takeover, hundreds of students and teachers took to streets Friday to demand military hand power back to elected politicians. Demonstrations spre to several parts of country, even in tightly controlled capital of Naypyitaw.

“We will never be toger with m,” lecturer Nwe Thazin said of military at a protest at Yangon University of Education. “We want that kind of government to collapse as soon as possible.” Myanmar was under military rule for five deces after a 1962 coup, and Suu Kyi’s five years as leer since 2015 h been its most democratic period despite continued use of repressive colonial-era laws and persecution of mirity Rohingya Muslims.

Im: AP