Virtual Uprising

8/14/2019 Virtual Uprising

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Background


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This is Burma

Images by Rowan Weinneger Used with Permission 2007


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2007/2008 UN Human

Development ReportPopulation

Life expectancy at birth, annual estimates (years), 2005 60.8

Adult literacy rate (% aged 15 and older), 1995-2005 89.9

Population, total (thousands), 2004 47,967

Fertility rate, total (births per woman), 2000-05 2.2

Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), 2005 105

Technology: diffusion and creation

Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people), 1990 2

Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people), 2005 9

Cellular subscribers (per 1,000 people), 1990 0

Cellular subscribers (per 1,000 people), 2005 4Internet users (per 1,000 people), 1990 0

Internet users (per 1,000 people), 2005 2

Population without electricity (millions) 45.1

http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_MMR.html
http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_MMR.htmlhttp://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_MMR.html


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Virtual Uprising: Burmese

Bloggers and the Rights

Movement in Myanmar


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Telecommunications use severely limited in

1990s

Networking between those computers and theoutside world is still forbidden. A 1996 lawimposes a 7- to 15-year jail term for the

unauthorized ownership of a modem."

In 1996, an American diplomat, was arrestedand later died in prison because of illegal useof a fax machine.

The Impact of the Internet on Myanmar by Viola Krebs

First Monday, volume 6, number 5 (May 2001),

URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_5/krebs/index.html


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Open Net Initiative. 2005. Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Studyhttp://www.opennetinitiative.net/studies/burma/

Burma, also known as Myanmar, implements one of the world's most restrictive

regimes of Internet control. These on-line restrictions buttress off-line regulation of

speech implemented by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), a

group of military officials who maintain authoritarian rule over the state. Burma's

system combines broad, vague laws of long standing with harsh penalties. Internetaccess is costly and the state uses software-based filtering techniques to limit

significantly the materials Burma's citizens can access on-line. Most dial-up Internet

accounts provide access only to the limited Myanmar Internet, not to the global

network that most people around the world can access. The state maintains the

capability to conduct surveillance of communication methods such as e-mail, and to

block users from viewing Web sites of political opposition groups, organizations

working for democratic change in Burma, and pornographic material. As comparedto states elsewhere around the world, Burma's censorship regime is among the

most extensive.

By 2000, the Internet was allowed,

but severely restricted


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Beginning in the 1990s, dissidents in

exile (some from the 8-8-88 student

uprising), began to use the web from

outside Burma to raise awareness and

encourage international pressure on

the government

The Impact of the Internet on Myanmar by Viola Krebs

First Monday, volume 6, number 5 (May 2001),URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_5/krebs/index.html


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Brahm, Eric. "Social Movements." Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and

Heidi Burgess. Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Posted: July 2006

.

By the mid to late 1990s the internet was

becoming a tool for protesters to launch

campaigns targeting social institutions, industries,and governments.


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"cyber empowerment" + "virtual

democracy = "virtual uprisings"


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A few key terms


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Goodwin, J. and Jasper, J. 2003. The Social Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts. Blackwell.

Protest

the act of challenging, resisting, or

making demands upon

authorities, powerholders, and/orcultural beliefs and practices by

some individual or group

Social movement

a collective, organized, sustainedand noninstitutional challenge to

authorities, powerholders, or

cultural beliefs and practices.

Revolutionary movement

a social movement that seeks, ata minimum, to overthrow the

government or state


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Social movements challengeauthorities, power-holders,even cultural beliefs and

practices. They are collective

actions that are organized andsustained, yet call on non-institutionalized segments ofthe society to unite.


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Basic building blocks of a

successful social movement Discontented people who share the perception that they have common grievances; Powerful ideological vision linked to strategies and tactics that have some

reasonable chance of success; Recruitment of people through pre-existing social, political, and cultural networks; Core group ofleaders and activists who mobilize, organize, educate, and

communicate with the politicized mass base; The efficient mobilization of resources that are available, or can be developed, to

assist the movement to meet its goals; Institutional infrastructure integrating political coordination, research and policy

think tanks, training centers, conferences, and alternative media. Opportunities in the larger political and social scene that can be exploited by

movement leaders and activists; Skillful framing of ideas and slogans (marketing) for multiple audiences such as

leaders, members, potential recruits, policymakers, and the general public.

Attractive movement culture that creates a sense of community through massrituals, celebrations, music, drama, poetry, art, and narrative stories about pastvictories, current struggles, and future successes.

Ability of recruits to craft a coherent and functional identity as a movementparticipant.

http://www.publiceye.org/action/movement.html


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Blogging a movement


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Bloggers within Myanmar and around the world havestaged virtual protests, online rallies, international

petition drives and educational campaigns to createpressure on the local government. The governmentreaction has been to monitor, suppress, and imprisonbloggers. It has even engaged in technological warfareattacking anti-government websites hosted in othercountries and finallyshutting down internet connectivity entirely from Sept 28to Oct 6 2007.

An image of a fleeing monk that made its way out of Myanmar before the ruling junta closed down Internet service there.

The Irrawady, via Agence France-Presse Getty Images http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/world/asia/04info.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/world/asia/04info.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/world/asia/04info.html


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Activities of the

Free Burma Bloggers Disseminate information Raise awareness within the

country as well as among those inthe west

Mobilize expats, dissidents, andsupporters Create an ideological vision of a

Free Burma Raise funds

Build infrastructure Create a sense of community Pressure Junta through

international attention


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Example - Mizzima News

Mizzima News was established in August 1998 by a group of Burmesejournalists in exile with the aim of promoting awareness about the ongoingsituation in Burma and promoting democracy and freedom of expression inBurma by improving the flow of information in and out of the country andthrough advocacy and lobbying.

Mizzima started from humble beginnings: An online news service run bythree Burmese in exile with a laptop and no telephone.

In the past eight years, Mizzima News Agency has matured into a widely-read and reliable source of news, information and analysis on Burma forreaders in and outside the country.

Mizzima has become awindow through which the international community can peer into news-starv . We also strive to play an active role in uniting democratic forces working

for change in Burma to secure national reconciliation and the restoration ofdemocracy and human rights in Burma. Over the years, Mizzima has expanded and has, through the use of its

websites, email-updates, meetings, discussions, seminars and print andelectronic news services, covered more issues for more people.

http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/Others/aboutus.html
http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/Others/photo-insideburma.htmlhttp://www.mizzima.com/http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/Others/photo-insideburma.html


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Virtual SolidarityOctober 5th, 2007 -

Over 5.500 bloggers from over45 different countriesparticipated in a cyberprotestagainst the military regime inBurma by placing a 'Free Burma'

banner on their blog. The planfor this internet protest originatedin Germany and spread aroundthe world in no time. Despite thesuccess the bloggers never gotany support from authority sitesas BoingBoing and digg. Rightnow, the tag "Free Burma" is the"Hottest Topic" on Technorati.(Source: Volkskrant)

http://www.viralblog.com/2007/10/05/viral-friday-dove-onslaught/


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Take part in this action for a Free Burma!

1. Publish a posting (Bulletin Board, Forum, Blog, Social

Network, Static Website) on the 4th of October with the

header: Free Burma!

2. Tag it if you can with Free Burma

3. Choose a grafic from ourGrafics page and4. Link to www.free-burma.org there your readers will find some

informations about the campaign and Burma and a participant

list which you can join. Even if you're a webmaster of a bulletin

board or social network you will find a special Group List to join.

5. Add ourPetition Widget to your blog/website.

6. Feel free to write any additional text you want.

If you have no website or blog we need you even more: Please

help us to spread the word across the internet, tell your

neighbours, friends or kids and first of all:

Sign our list of participants!

14.000 subscriptions in 7 days

Virtual Solidarity
http://www2.free-burma.org/graphics.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/graphics.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/groups.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/news.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/index.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/subscribers.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/subscribers.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/index.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/news.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/groups.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/graphics.phphttp://www2.free-burma.org/graphics.php


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Example - Organizing Action

Join the Saffron RevolutionMake this image appear all over the world, reminding

people everywhere of the uprising in Burma and

showing that the struggle for freedom is alive

everywhere. It's easy:

1. Download the stencil pdfand print it.

2. Cut the monks out to make your stencil, and usedark orange spray paint to put the images up.

Where you paint it and what you paint it on is up to

you. This site does not control, encourage or

discourage any choice you make.

2. To post a photo of your monks, e-mail the photo

to the posting address below.What you put in the Subject line will be the title, and

any body text will be the body of the blog post.

Please include the general location, but keep the text

short--this is for photos of monks on the march!

Don't worry if it doesn't show up instantly. We have to

screen out the spam.

http://saffronrevolutionworldwide.blogspot.com/
http://www.garella.com/rich/monkstencil.pdfhttp://www.garella.com/rich/monkstencil.pdfhttp://www.garella.com/rich/monkstencil.pdfhttp://www.garella.com/rich/monkstencil.pdfhttp://www.garella.com/rich/monkstencil.pdfhttp://www.garella.com/rich/monkstencil.pdf


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Example - Petition Drives

An appeal to the UN Security Council to protect t

Stop Licence to Rape in Shan State, Burma

Stand with the People of Burma

Burma, the world stands with you

(835,891 signatures)

http://www youtube com/watch?v=2QNpnkRbFos
http://new.petitiononline.com/9848/petition-sign.htmlhttp://www.petitiononline.com/Forumasi/petition.htmlhttp://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/972303571http://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_hope_lives/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QNpnkRbFoshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QNpnkRbFoshttp://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_hope_lives/http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/972303571http://www.petitiononline.com/Forumasi/petition.htmlhttp://www.petitiononline.com/Forumasi/petition.htmlhttp://www.petitiononline.com/Forumasi/petition.htmlhttp://new.petitiononline.com/9848/petition-sign.html

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Virtual Uprising

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