ABSTRACT
Myanmar is in the midst of a dramatic transformation in how people consume information, maintain relationships, build communities and mobilise social movements. Media dissemination and consumption has long been acknowledged as an essential mechanism in the development of nationalism (see Anderson 1991). Drawing on Walton’s argument in this volume that Myanmar has never really been a unified ‘nation’, this chapter focuses its attention on the role of Myanmar’s fastest growing form of media—social media—in (re)formulating notions of citizenship and nation amid Myanmar’s transition. This chapter opens with an overview of the history of mobile and internet access in Myanmar. It then explores the new social and political opportunities, tensions and dynamics that are emerging as a result of Myanmar’s recent liberalisation, particularly of the telecommunications sector. Focusing on the emergence of low-cost, web-enabled mobile phones in recent years, it explores how these technologies interact with and alter pre-existing social networks, relationships and communication practices, opening up new spheres for activism and advocacy of various kinds including the reforging of civil–military relations and notions of citizenship. It concludes with a call for future research to recognise the interaction between online–offline action, and how this may influence the emergence of a ‘national’ culture in Myanmar over the coming years.
