DATE=8/13/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41141
TITLE=BURMA / CYBERWAR
BYLINE=AUNG HLA 
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
NOT VOICED:

/// 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)

EAP/AH/DAR/KL

14-Aug-98 10:09 AM EDT (1409 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.