Satellites Out of Bounds: Myanmar’s Juxtaposition of Freedom and Folly
Junta Jumps the Gun on Satellites
In a move that feels like a glitch from the 1990s, Myanmar’s drumbeat‑driven regime has just slapped a ban on satellite TV receivers. According to the state‑run MRTV, anyone caught devouring airtime from a dish will not only lose their phone but their freedom too—up to a year in prison and a fine roughly equivalent to a smoothie-filling; 500,000 kyat, or about S$429.
Internet Isolation: The New Golden Age
With mobile data cut short since the February 1 coup, the government’s internet blackouts are causing a nostalgia trip back to the pre‑democracy days. People basically—hi‑tech? No. More like “out‐of‑touch” for the last decade.
Violence & Vanished Voters
Reports of civilian casualties have been rising: an advocacy group says security forces have taken the lives of over 760 civilians, though the junta insists the actual toll is a mere 24 police and soldiers. To put it in numbers, that’s a difference the same as how many times the word “liberation” slipped into a speech.
Bombs & Boos
- Tuesday rained parcel bombs, claiming five lives—two lawmakers and three police officers who dared to whistle against the troops.
- Chile‑state militia claimed they clipped the wings of four army soldiers and wounded a further ten in a midnight skirmish.
- A gun‑shot tragedy claimed a local administrator in Sagaing; a neighbor soon after was found literally beheaded.
Clashes & Chaos in the City
Alarm bells rang in Mandalay this Tuesday. Education staff staged a sit‑down, demanding a boycott of schools and colleges in June. Meanwhile, Yangon remains a tinderbox, with protests escalating despite police silence.
Why the Junta? A Misfiled Manifesto?
The regime’s narrative? They won the election in November, and “fraud” allegations were brushed aside. Now they’re holding on to power with a new slogan: “If teachers and councilors aren’t allowed to speak freely, they can silence no one.” A беспокойный posture that brings the nation back to that earlier, isolated chapter.
