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VOA-BURMA / CYBERWAR
Voice of America
DATE=8/13/98
BURMA / CYBERWAR
AUNG HLA
WASHINGTON
/// THE FOLLOWING BACKGROUNDER WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY BUT DID NOT
APPEAR ON ALL WIRES ///
INTRO: AS A RESULT OF THE INTERNET -- AND ESPECIALLY THE
WORLDWIDE WEB -- AWARENESS OF THE POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS
SITUATION IN BURMA HAS INCREASED. AUNG HLA (PRON: OUNG LAH) OF
V-O-A'S BURMESE SERVICE REPORTS THE BURMESE MILITARY IS REPORTED
TO HAVE ESTABLISHED A SPECIAL ELECTRONIC WARFARE CENTER TO
COUNTER THE SUCCESS DEMOCRATIC GROUPS HAVE HAD IN SPREADING THEIR
INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET:
TEXT: THIS AUGUST MARKS THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF MONTH-LONG
PROTESTS BY THE BURMESE PEOPLE WHICH BROUGHT DOWN TWO
MILITARY-BACKED GOVERNMENTS.
EVENTUALLY, BURMA'S MILITARY VIOLENTLY SUPPRESSED THE
DEMONSTRATIONS AND ASSUMED POWER. ALTHOUGH THE EXACT DEATH TOLL
REMAINS UNKNOWN, IT IS WIDELY ACCEPTED THAT BURMESE TROOPS KILLED
TWO TO THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE.
SOON AFTER THE MILITARY COUP IN SEPTEMBER OF 1988, BURMESE
DISSIDENTS WHO FLED THE COUNTRY BEGAN TO USE THE INTERNET TO
SPREAD INFORMATION AND TO KEEP INFORMED ABOUT CONDITIONS IN BURMA
UNDER MILITARY RULE.
IN THE YEARS SINCE THEN, THE USE OF THE INTERNET BY BURMESE
DISSIDENTS HAS GROWN DRAMATICALLY. TODAY, NUMEROUS WEBSITES --
MANY OF THEM LINKED WITH ONE ANOTHER -- CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT
BURMA'S POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION. E-MAIL
TRAFFIC ON THE "SOCIAL CULTURE BURMA" DISCUSSION GROUP IS HEAVY.
DEMOCRACY GROUPS COORDINATE ACTIVITIES THROUGH THIS NEWSGROUP, AS
WELL AS WEBSITES AND MAILING LISTS RELATED TO BURMA.
IN 1997, THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT CREATED ITS OWN WEBSITES AND
MAILING LISTS IN AN EFFORT TO COUNTER THE DISSIDENTS.
MICHAEL BEER, DIRECTOR OF A WASHINGTON, D.C.-BASED GROUP CALLED
NON-VIOLENCE INTERNATIONAL, MONITORS THE MESSAGES AND INFORMATION
POSTED BY BOTH SIDES. HE SAYS THERE WERE THREE PHASES IN THE
CYBERWAR BETWEEN THE BURMESE MILITARY AND PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUPS:
/// BEER ACT ///
THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS CONFLICT ON THE INTERNET WAS IN THE
EARLY 1990'S WHEN ELECTRONIC MAIL BECAME VERY WIDESPREAD IN
THE UNITED STATES, AND IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD. THIS WAS
THE ELECTRONIC MAIL PHASE OF THE INTERNET CONFLICT. AND THIS
FIRST PHASE WAS ALL IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, AND WAS TOTALLY
DOMINATED BY THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE. THE SECOND PHASE OF THE
INTERNET CONFLICT BEGAN WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD WIDE
WEB. AND THE FREE BURMA MOVEMENT AND FREE BURMA COALITION WAS
AMONG THE FIRST, IF NOT THE FIRST, POLITICAL ORGANIZATION
USING THE WORLD WIDE WEB. AND IT WAS WELL-COORDINATED IN A
WAY THAT IT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
/// END ACT ///
MR. BEER SAYS THE THIRD PHASE WILL BE IN ETHNIC LANGUAGES OF
BURMA, AND ALSO TAKES THE FORM OF MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATIONS --
USING STILL AND VIDEO IMAGES.
JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY REPORTED RECENTLY THAT BURMA'S MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE SECTION NOW HAS THE LARGEST COMPUTER FACILITY IN
BURMA AND ITS MAIN PURPOSE IS TO COUNTER INFORMATION PUT OUT BY
BURMA DEMOCRACY GROUPS. KNOWN AS THE CYBERWAR CENTER, THIS
FACILITY IS ALSO REPORTED TO BE CAPABLE OF INTERCEPTING SATELLITE
TELEPHONE TRANSMISSIONS.
// OPT // BURMESE DISSIDENTS AND PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUPS POST ABOUT
120 MESSAGES A MONTH ON THE "SOCIAL CULTURE BURMA" NEWS GROUP,
WHILE THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE SUPPORTING IT POST ABOUT
110 MESSAGES A MONTH. IN ADDITION, ABOUT 100 MESSAGES A MONTH
ARE POSTED BY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DISCUSS THE OVERALL POLITICAL
SITUATION IN BURMA. // END OPT //
COBAN TUN -- AN EXILED BURMESE LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO -- SAYS
THE INFORMATION DISTRIBUTED BY THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT CANNOT
MATCH THE MATERIAL REPORTED BY ESTABLISHED MEDIA AND POSTED BY
PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUPS BECAUSE ITS INFORMATION IS USUALLY
UNINFORMATIVE:
/// TUN ACT ///
UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR EFFORT BECOMES MORE OF A DISADVANTAGE
FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY PUT STUFF OUT THAT IS SO RIDICULOUS
THAT PEOPLE JUST LAUGH AT THEM. AT LEAST I DO. BUT THERE WILL
BE SERIOUS PROBLEMS GOING ON IN RANGOON INVOLVING AUNG SAN
SUU KYI AND THE CONTINUED CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS. AND WHAT DO
THEY PUT OUT? THEY PUT OUT STUFF LIKE - OH! SO AND SO GENERAL
WOULD INSPECT THIS ROAD, OR SO AND SO GENERAL RECEIVED SO AND
SO FROM SOME COUNTRY. WELL THAT'S ALL GREAT. BUT WHAT DID
THEY TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW? SO THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL ON THE
INTERNET IN MY OPINION.
/// END ACT ///
THE INTERNET HAS HELPED BURMESE DEMOCRACY GROUPS SPREAD THEIR
CAMPAIGN FOR POLITICAL CHANGE IN BURMA. THESE GROUPS HAVE USED
THE INTERNET IN A CAMPAIGN THAT HAS SO FAR LED 21 CITIES AND
OTHER LOCALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES TO PASS LAWS RESTRICTING
BUSINESS WITH COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS IN BURMA. (SIGNED)