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Myanmar’s Military Junta Knocks Out Internet After Bloody Week

New restrictions on internet connectivity came into force Friday.

Myanmar’s military junta has expanded an internet shutdown, after more than a hundred people were killed in the past week in the worst violence against civilians since the military seized power in a coup in February. On Thursday night, ahead of the new restrictions, people rushed to share links to radio channels and communication systems that function offline. On the streets, protesters held a vigil, using candles to spell the words, “We will never surrender.” Protesters also called for a “flower strike” at bus stops where demonstrators killed by security forces had departed on their last journeys. On Thursday, the United Nations Security Council said it “strongly condemned the use of violence against peaceful protestors and the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including women and children.” British foreign minister Dominic Raab accused the military of “the wanton killing of innocent people, including children,” and announced sanctions against one of the military’s biggest conglomerates, Myanmar Economic Corporation. The U.K. also said it would contribute $700,000 towards UN security council efforts to document serious human rights violations in Myanmar.