Facebook blocked in Myanmar in wake of coup

Myanmar’s military has blocked access to Facebook in the wake of a coup earlier this week, according to multiple reports.

Facebook users first reported service disruptions in the country late Wednesday.

The social media giant in a statement to The Hill urged “authorities to restore connectivity so that people in Myanmar can communicate with family and friends and access important information.”

The move to block Facebook, a popular social media platform in Myanmar, comes amid worldwide condemnation of the coup.

Military officials instituted a state of emergency early Monday and arrested Aung San Suu Ky, the leader of the ruling party, and other democratically elected officials who were poised to open the first parliamentary session following the country’s November elections.

The military has called the elections fraudulent despite local and international observers finding that they were free and fair.

Approximately 70 elected lawmakers defied the military on Thursday by holding a symbolic meeting of the Parliament in Myanmar, The Associated Press noted, adding that they signed their oaths of office at a government guesthouse in Naypyitaw, the nation’s capital.

Health care professionals across the country have also said that they will not work for the military government, even amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

However, thousands of people held a rally in Naypyitaw on Thursday to show support for the military.

President Biden’s administration on Tuesday declared that the military takeover in Myanmar was a coup, halting foreign aid and ordering a review of U.S. assistance to the country. 

–Updated at 11:52 a.m.