The ruling junta in Burma has cut internet access to citizens in an attempt to stop footage of pro-democracy protests escaping the country. Internet cafés have been closed and the state ISP is claiming that a damaged cable has led to a total internet shutdown across the country, though the veracity of this story is questionable at best. This move comes after the extensive filming of the latest protests on mobile phones and video cameras; the movies have consequently been sent across the web, generating large amounts of negative press for the junta.
"They are going to delay the message, but they are not going to stop it," British journalist Dominic Faulder told Reuters. "This time, there will be more pictures and they will come out." Although Burma is subject to some of the strictest censorship in the world, images of the protests, including the beatings of Buddhist monks and the killing of a Japanese photographer, have all been sent out via the internet.