This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
June 21, 2020, marked the beginning of a second year of internet blackout in Myanmar's Rakhine state, a region embroiled in a bloody civil war between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA).
The conflict, which started in January 2019, has displaced tens of thousands of civilians, with hundreds injured and scores killed. Both the military and the AA have traded allegations of abuses.
Human Rights Watch has called for an immediate end to the "world's longest government-enforced internet shutdown," citing the critical need for civilians to access information to stay safe during the global pandemic.
"It's critical for civilians to get the information needed to stay safe," said HRW's Linda Lakhdhir.
The country has recorded 287 coronavirus cases, including six deaths, but experts fear the low numbers are due to a lack of testing. The internet shutdown has made it difficult for residents to access information about the pandemic, with few in Myanmar having personal computers and relying on mobile phones for communications and information.
Rights groups have also condemned the blocking of several local media websites and are urging telecom firms to push back against the government's orders.
Rakhine state is also home to the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group that faced a brutal crackdown by the military in 2017, leading to charges of genocide against Myanmar at the UN's top court.
