According to a report by Data for Myanmar, the military has arrested 1,884 citizens over the past four years for allegedly criticizing the military council on social media.
In 2022 and 2023, an average of over 700 online users were arrested annually. However, the number of arrests decreased by half in 2024, with 375 people detained across 119 townships. The majority of these arrests took place in Yangon and Mandalay regions.
In January and February 2025 alone, 20 social media users from 14 townships were arrested. Data for Myanmar’s records indicate that, on average, 50 people are detained each month. The total number of online users arrested each year includes 874 in 2022, 615 in 2023, 375 in 2024, and 20 as of February 2025.
Most detainees were arrested for posts and shares on Facebook, with some cases involving TikTok, Telegram, and Viber. Among the 915 individuals arrested from Yangon and Mandalay, the majority were targeted for their Facebook activity.
Since the military coup, internet blackouts, website restrictions, and social media bans—particularly on platforms like Facebook—have been enforced. On January 25, 2022, the military announced legal actions against those engaging in online activism, propaganda, or threats under laws such as the Counter-Terrorism Law (Article 52a), Penal Code Section 124a and 505a, and the Electronic Transactions Law (Article 33a). State-controlled media also issued warnings against playing “PDF games” and spreading hate speech, leading to a crackdown on online users starting in February 2022.
Initially, arrests focused mainly on Facebook users, but by 2023 and 2024, the military also monitored TikTok content. High-profile figures, including artists, actors, and journalists, have been among those detained. State-controlled newspapers and media outlets have actively covered these arrests as part of the military’s propaganda efforts, according to Data for Myanmar.
