At least 714 women have been arrested over the past five years for criticizing the military on social media or expressing support for public movements and revolutionary organizations, according to an analysis by independent research group Data for Myanmar (D4M).
Women accounted for 35% of the 2,029 people arrested nationwide in such cases, according to D4M.
Since the arrests began in 2022, Facebook has been the platform most frequently monitored in connection with arrests. People have also faced legal action over posts and content shared on TikTok, Viber, Telegram, YouTube and other platforms.
The military junta has repeatedly warned that people could face prosecution under existing laws for what it describes as incitement, propaganda or threats on social media. The laws cited include Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, Sections 124-A and 505-A of the Penal Code, and Section 33(a) of the Electronic Transactions Law.
Although the number of arrests has declined year by year, D4M said cases recorded in 2026 increasingly included arrests over comments and shared posts expressing political views that differed from those of the authorities, rather than only cases involving alleged security threats.
The military junta has continued monitoring social media activity and taking legal action against users. Security personnel at checkpoints have also searched residents’ mobile phones and arrested people based on information found on their devices.
D4M urged social media users to pay greater attention to protecting their personal information online and to take precautions to secure their data and personal safety before traveling.
D4M said its figures were compiled after reviewing information published on the military junta’s Ministry of Information website and in state-run newspapers. The research did not include people arrested under election protection laws during the 2025 election period.
IMNA