This is an insightful article from Mizzima on the cat and mouse game played between people exercising their rights to information and expression and those who would restrict them. No secrets here. ‘Freedom’ is cool and if any readers want to use a Psiphon site please let the moderator know and he will send you the URL.

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Internet policing in Burma stepped up
Mizzima News
10 January 2006

Surfing the Internet is becoming more difficult by the day in Burma. The
military ruled country has come down heavily on net users increasing the
list of sites to be banned. Proxy sites used till Monday are not working
any more. Internet users who want to use free emails and messengers like
Google mail, Google Gtalk are now hastily looking for new proxy sites.

Since last Monday, the junta banned proxy sites such as www.polysolve.com,
www.glite.sayni.net, www.3proxy.com, www.unipeak.com among others, which
used to help surf banned sites including email service providers,
political opposition sites, human rights pages and pornography for almost
a year.

Internet surfers therefore cannot access free mail websites, messengers
and are unable to communicate via the internet with people inside and
outside the country.

Internet experts, however, suggest there are ways and means to get over
this and the regime will lose out in a cat-and-mouse game.

Aung Kyaw Myo, the New Delhi based manager of Burma Information Technology
said there are many proxy sites and a software called "Freedom" which is
useful to Burmese Internet users.

"Countries into Internet censorship ban proxy sites when it becomes
popular with many people using it. But if a proxy site is banned, there
are still many left to use. Besides, you can use a local proxy software
called 'Freedom.' You install this software in your computer and then you
can surf the Internet and log onto banned sites. You can download it from
http://www.your-freedom.net ", said Aung Kyaw Myo.

"Moreover, there is one more way. I haven't tested it yet. It is Psiphon,
an open source software which I noticed two months ago. It is said to be
more secure than proxy servers. With this software, you can surf Internet
freely from a computer somewhere outside Burma. For example, you can
operate a computer in India with Psiphon software and users in Burma with
client software will have access to your computer and they can surf the
Internet from there. If you want to study it check
http://psiphon.civisec.org" he added.

This is not the first time that Burmese Internet users are experiencing
censor-ship. Paris-based media watch dog, Reporters Sans Frontiers or RSF
said the Burmese junta's Internet policies are even more repressive than
that of China and Vietnam.

"The military junta clearly filters opposition websites. It keeps a very
close eye on Internet cafes, in which the computers automatically execute
screen captures every five minutes, in order to monitor user activity."
said the RSF website.

Burma uses Fortiguard, an Internet filtering programme produced by a US
company Fortinet.

Burma with two Internet Service Providers- Myanmar Posts and
Telecommunica- tions and BaganNet, officially allow only government
controlled e-mails in which your password is given by the authority.

If you type www.gmail.com in a computer with BaganNet Internet connection,
"Access Denied" will appear on your screen while a computer with MPT shows
"STOP Access is denied".

However, some Burmese Internet users who are technically savvy have been
using G-talk, Skype and VZO chat. They use those messengers via a proxy
site or use Freedom software. Now, the government has banned these proxy
sites and they are looking for new proxy sites.

Under BaganNet Internet connection, Google's Gtalk and Google mail,
popular among the Burmese has often been banned.

Last year, it was banned just after June 2006 19, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's
birthday and reopened after July 2006 3, coincidentally after the wedding
ceremony of Senior General Than Shwe's daughter.

Then, it was banned again until now since August 10, 2006.

However, MPT only banned Gmail not Gtalk. Only business houses use MPT
while the majority is Bagan net users.

"SPDC doesn't want to see information flowing into and outside Burma.
That's why they go for bans", Aung Kyaw Myo said.

According to the RSF "The aim is two-fold: to defend the profitable
long-distance telecommunications market, which is controlled by state
companies, as well as to stop cyber-dissidents from using a means of
communication that is hard to monitor"