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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.¹

Myanmar (Burma) is an ethnically-diverse country, made up of 60% ethnic Burmans with 40% of the population spread across several ethnic groups and sub-groups. Independent since 1948, it has been ruled by military regime since 1962.²

On becoming independent in 1948 the country became known as the “Union of Burma” but in 1989 the ruling military government renamed the state to the “Union of Myanmar”. This change of name has been rejected by opponents of the current government, both within and outside of the country, who argue that the government did not have authority to institute it.³

Myanmar/Burma’s diverse ethnic mix – with 8 major ethnic groups and over 100 spoken dialects – is a result of a long history of migration and conflict along its fluid frontiers. The Burmans are the ruling Burmese ethnic group that dominates the country’s military and government.[2] Most of Myanmar/Burma’s ethnic minorities inhabit areas along the country’s mountainous frontiers.⁴

MapQuest - Map of Myanmar (Burma) - Absolutely amazing maps of the world in which you can continually zoom in on and and re-center. Goes from satellite view all the way to street view.⁵

The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), a non-profit news organization and one of the few places where the news from Myanmar still trickling in has posted a report in Burmese on soldiers trying to get the monks to give up their religious life. Yangon Thu translates the report.⁶