Police and military vehicles are pictured outside the Yangon University compound during a protest
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Social media giant Facebook has banned Myanmar’s military from its social media platforms following numerous “violations” of its policies.
The ban, which came into force with immediate effect on Wednesday, prevents the Tatmadaw military and its affiliates from using Facebook and Instagram as well as banning ads from military-linked commercial entities.
It comes after the military seized control of the country and detained Myanmar’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won enough seats in a November election to form a government, but the military claimed “election fraud” had taken place and used Facebook to share its claims of voter fraud.
The social media giant said the risks of allowing the Tatmadaw on Facebook and Instagram are “too great” as it outlined four guiding factors for the ban.
It said the Tatmadaw’s history of “exceptionally severe human rights abuses” and on-platform content and behaviour violations had led to Facebook repeatedly having to enforce the platform’s policies to protect its community.
Rafael Frankel, director of Policy, APAC Emerging Countries at Facebook, said: “We’re continuing to treat the situation in Myanmar as an emergency and we remain focused on the safety of our community, and the people of Myanmar more broadly.
“Events since the February 1 coup, including deadly violence, have precipitated a need for this ban.
“We’re also prohibiting Tatmadaw-linked commercial entities from advertising on the platform.
“We are using the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar’s 2019 report, on the economic interests of the Tatmadaw, as the basis to guide these efforts, along with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These bans will remain in effect indefinitely.”
Days after the coup, Myanamar’s new military government blocked access to Facebook for the sake of “stability”.
Facebook is particularly popular in Myanmar and was often used by the ousted government to make announcements.
Last week the UK Government imposed sanctions on three Myanmar generals and announced new efforts to stop UK businesses working with Myanmar’s military and measures to ensure aid is not diverted to the junta.
Speaking at the time, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “The UK condemns the military coup and the arbitrary detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political figures.
“We, alongside our international allies will hold the Myanmar military to account for their violations of human rights and pursue justice for the Myanmar people.”
Since the coup on February 1, Facebook has disabled the Tatmadaw True News Information Team Page, MRTV and MRTV Live Pages for violating its policies.
The ban does not include government ministries and agencies engaged in the provision of essential public service.
