A military checkpoint is seen on the way to the Congress compound in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, February 1, 2021. Stringer, Reuters
SINGAPORE - Facebook on Thursday said it had banned the Myanmar military from using its Facebook and Instagram platforms with immediate effect, as pro-democracy demonstrators continued to stage rallies to protest the military seizing power.
"Events since the February 1 coup, including deadly violence, have precipitated a need for this ban," Facebook said in a blog post. "We believe the risks of allowing the Tatmadaw (Myanmar army) on Facebook and Instagram are too great."
The army seized power this month after alleging fraud in a Nov. 8 election swept by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), detaining her and much of the party leadership.
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At least three protesters and one policeman have been killed in violence at rallies.
The US tech giant said it would also ban all "Tadmadaw-linked commercial entities" from advertising on its platforms.
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