Announcing a New Publication: "The Digital Battleground"

A Personal Note: As many of you know, my work on Moe Notes is deeply intertwined with my journey as a student. Today, I am proud to share the culmination of a semester of intense research and writing: my final paper for the "Issues in Architectural History & Theory" module at Oxford Brookes University.

While the course title may sound academic, the subject matter is deeply personal to all of us. The paper is titled:

"The Digital Battleground: Control, Resistance, and Hybridity in Early Post-Coup Burma".

It is an 1800-word (excluding captions and notes) investigation into how the Burmese military attempted to seize control of the digital world in the first week of the 2021 coup, and how the people of Myanmar immediately fought back with incredible resilience and creativity.

This was more than just a university assignment for me. It was an opportunity to use the academic resources and critical methods I have access to here to formally document a pivotal moment in our history. It is my attempt to add a small, rigorously researched piece to the archive of our revolution.

About This Paper

• Title: The Digital Battleground: Control, Resistance, and Hybridity in Early Post-Coup Burma
• Course: ARCH5006: Issues in Architectural History & Theory
• Institution: Oxford Brookes University
• Word Count: 4,375
• Page Count: 30
• Grade Achieved: GOOD (60-69%)

A Summary of the Key Findings

1. Pre-Coup Myanmar: A Flourishing Digital World

Before the 2021 coup, Myanmar had experienced a decade of rapid digital growth. Internet penetration had reached

43.3% of the population (23.65 million users) by January 2021, a huge jump from the previous year. Facebook, in particular, had become central to the country's social, political, and economic life, creating a vibrant space where global and local ideas mixed freely. This dynamic "cultural hybridity" was a direct threat to the military's desire for absolute control.

2. The First Week: The Junta's Digital Coup

On February 1st, 2021, the military's physical coup was accompanied by a digital one. Their strategy was swift and multi-pronged:

• The Blackout: Nationwide internet connectivity was immediately throttled, dropping to 50% below normal levels on the first day, followed by a near-total blackout for 38 hours on February 6-7.
• The Blockade: Within three days, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp were blocked to create an information vacuum and suppress dissent. This initiated a "digital dictatorship".
• Surveillance & Arrests: The junta leveraged existing surveillance laws to monitor online activity, leading to the arrests of hundreds of online dissenters and journalists within the first week.

3. The People's Response: Immediate Digital Resistance

Despite the comprehensive crackdown, the people of Myanmar responded with incredible speed and ingenuity.

• The VPN Surge: To bypass the blocks, the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) skyrocketed by a reported 7,200%.
• The Shift to Secure Apps: Citizens rapidly moved to encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Telegram to organize and share sensitive information safely.
• Offline Solutions: When the internet was completely shut down, people turned to offline, Bluetooth-based messaging apps like Bridgefy, which was downloaded over 1.1 million times in the first 48 hours of the coup.

This immediate and widespread digital resistance proved that cyberspace had become a central battleground in the unfolding crisis.

Tutor's Feedback and My Reflection

I was fortunate to receive very positive feedback from my tutor at Oxford Brookes. The paper was awarded a GOOD (Distinction is 70% and above), with high marks across all criteria, including:

• Analysis: "Critically evaluates evidence supporting conclusions and recommendations."
• Originality: "Can transform abstract data and ideas towards a clear and imaginative argument."
• Language: "Demonstrates sustained and imaginative approach to language."

This feedback was incredibly encouraging, and it affirmed my belief that using academic tools to research and document our own struggle is a valuable and worthwhile endeavor.

Read the Full Paper: For academics, researchers, and those who wish to read the full, original paper with all citations as it was submitted, you can download the complete English PDF here.

[Download the full research paper, "The Digital Battleground" here]