Myanmar is reeling from the catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck on 28 March 2025, now followed by deadly aftershocks and a growing humanitarian emergency. The scale of the disaster is exacerbated by the ongoing armed conflict and the information blackout resulting from the military junta imposing restrictions on the internet and independent reporting. In the face of these compounding crises, ARTICLE 19 urges the international community to exert diplomatic pressure on the junta to lift internet shutdowns and censorship in the country, support the deployment of emergency communication tools, and back independent media and local responders best able to provide life-saving information at this time. In times of crisis, unrestricted access to information is critical for coordinating relief efforts and protecting lives – restoring it must be a priority alongside humanitarian assistance.
According to Reuters, the death toll has exceeded 2,886 and will likely continue to grow, with thousands injured and countless still trapped under the rubble. Entire communities in Sagaing, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw have been devastated.
The climate crisis is intensifying natural disasters across Southeast Asia, which often hit hardest in countries already torn by conflict and authoritarian rule. In Myanmar, the earthquake’s devastation has been compounded by the military junta’s repressive response: blocking information, restricting internet access, and hindering humanitarian aid. The internet and social media restrictions and the blocking of virtual private networks (VPNs) further isolate the affected regions and obscure the true scale of the devastation. The military junta’s ongoing crackdown on independent journalism, and the barring of international media from accessing impacted areas prevent accurate reporting and independent scrutiny. The information blackout not only silences survivors but also conceals the extent of the State Administration Council’s (SAC) mismanagement of disaster response efforts, violating affected communities’ access to information and undermining the humanitarian response.
Moreover, the destruction of physical infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, telecom towers, and electricity lines, combined with overloaded and restricted digital networks, is severely hampering life-saving aid efforts. With entire towns reduced to rubble and survivors forced to dig through debris with bare hands, the failure to provide is actively contributing to preventable deaths.
In many areas, humanitarian actors are unable to assess needs or dispatch aid because digital and physical access continue to be blocked — by damage, repression, or both.
The Myanmar military’s decision to continue denying international journalists’ entry, suppressing independent reporting, mirrors the catastrophic state obstruction seen during Cyclone Nargis in 2008, when tens of thousands of people died due to delayed response.
Today, as the climate crisis intensifies the frequency and impact of such disasters, it is even more important that authorities are held accountable for censorship and restricting access to information, which directly contributes to more deaths and suffering.
ARTICLE 19 condemns the military’s ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression and right to information and calls on the junta to immediately restore access to the internet across the country, and urgently lift all restrictions on independent reporting, along with other censorship measures.
We also urge the international community, donor states, UN agencies, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chair Member State, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), humanitarian organisations, and the private sector to work in partnership and take the following urgent steps:
- Exert pressure on the State Administrative Council to lift all censorship measures, including bans on media, VPNs, and social media platforms to protect freedom of expression.
- Deploy emergency digital infrastructure and support open access tools to bypass firewalls and re-establish communications in blackout zones.
- Support local journalists and human rights defenders to safely document ongoing crises, including the impacts of climate-related disasters. Independent reporting can support accountability efforts to hold the military junta responsible for censorship, repression, and failure to provide life-saving assistance.
The Myanmar earthquake is a stark reminder of what happens when environmental disasters strike in the context of authoritarian rule. It exposes how freedom of expression, access to information, and unhindered connectivity are not luxuries — they are lifesaving necessities.