Number of the Internet Users Increases in Myanmar

Despite the military regime's attempts to limit the media, Internet culture is still increasing up to the present time in Myanmar of which the only one Internet service provider is the Myanmar Info Tech.

Since late 1990s, local Internet ?using communities have gradually become larger. Now it is reported that number of the Internet users has increased than before.



Around 1999, Internet cafes were hardly found in any other cities except Yangon, former capital of Myanmar. Later local people become more interested in using the Net, particularly after 2000.

In the beginning, Internet cafes were just like computer training centers, without any other services such as snacks and drinks for the users. There were a lot of notice sheets of paper stuck on the walls of those Internet centers, in which the authorities warned the users not to visit any political and x-rated sites. However, most people tried to browse the restricted websites in different ways, using some popular proxies.

The conflict between the regime and the users of the Internet is still occurring in Myanmar. For example, the authorities block most proxies but the users open new ones through other proxies, like a game of hide and seek.

To build a personal blog is also not allowed here and some popular bloggers were even arrested in order to prevent new blogging.

In such a never ending conflict, most of the young users of the Internet are now addicted to using Google Talk to chat with others. Using Google, many are finding peers and friends online for fun.

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