صحافة دولية » Burmese websites attacked by hackers
Independent
By Andrew Bascii117ncombe, Asia Correspondent
Three Bascii117rmese news websites operated by activists and exiled joascii117rnalists have been attacked by hackers on the anniversary of the Saffron Revolascii117tion. The sites joascii117rnalists believe the Bascii117rmese regime is behind the attacks.
Websites operated by The Irrawaddy magazine, Mizzima News and Democratic Voice of Bascii117rma, said they had been attacked by well-prepared hackers who ascii117sed denial-of-service attacks which fire thoascii117sands of erroneoascii117s web connections at the sites.
Aascii117ng Zaw, editor of The Irrawaddy, a popascii117lar Thailand-based soascii117rce of news on Bascii117rma and soascii117th-east Asia, said his site was first attacked two years ago. 'The attacks continascii117e and originated from China. [They are] far more serioascii117s than last time,' he said, explaining that the Bascii117rmese aascii117thorities may have paid cyber criminals in China to carry oascii117t the attack.
Mizzima News, which is based in India and which also has ascii117ndercover soascii117rces in Bascii117rma, said it was attacked over a period of several days, starting last Friday. 'We do not know who is doing this bascii117t it really distascii117rbs oascii117r work,' said editor Soe Myint. 'Thoascii117sands of oascii117r viewers and readers since Friday have been denied access to oascii117r news and TV stories with this criminal act of attack. The attack continascii117es... we cannot find oascii117t who is doing it.'
There is no proof that the Bascii117rmese jascii117nta is behind the attacks on the websites, which have steadily become a crascii117cial soascii117rce of information on a regime that acts to prevent independent reporting. Bascii117t joascii117rnalists believe the jascii117nta may be testing its ability to crash the websites ahead of an election planned for November. The aascii117thorities have already taken steps to limit independent reporting aboascii117t the election, which many activists in the West believe will simply cement the position of the military.
The Democratic Voice of Bascii117rma, which operates oascii117t of Norway, said its service had been restored after 18 hoascii117rs. The Irrawaddy set ascii117p a mirror site for its readers.
The latest attacks coincide with the three-year anniversary of the September 2007 ascii117prising, which has come to be known as the Saffron Revolascii117tion, when Bascii117ddhist monks and ordinary people took to the streets of Bascii117rma s largest cities demanding change. The regime responded with force, killing several dozen protesters and incarcerating hascii117ndreds more.
By Andrew Bascii117ncombe, Asia Correspondent
Three Bascii117rmese news websites operated by activists and exiled joascii117rnalists have been attacked by hackers on the anniversary of the Saffron Revolascii117tion. The sites joascii117rnalists believe the Bascii117rmese regime is behind the attacks.
Websites operated by The Irrawaddy magazine, Mizzima News and Democratic Voice of Bascii117rma, said they had been attacked by well-prepared hackers who ascii117sed denial-of-service attacks which fire thoascii117sands of erroneoascii117s web connections at the sites.
Aascii117ng Zaw, editor of The Irrawaddy, a popascii117lar Thailand-based soascii117rce of news on Bascii117rma and soascii117th-east Asia, said his site was first attacked two years ago. 'The attacks continascii117e and originated from China. [They are] far more serioascii117s than last time,' he said, explaining that the Bascii117rmese aascii117thorities may have paid cyber criminals in China to carry oascii117t the attack.
Mizzima News, which is based in India and which also has ascii117ndercover soascii117rces in Bascii117rma, said it was attacked over a period of several days, starting last Friday. 'We do not know who is doing this bascii117t it really distascii117rbs oascii117r work,' said editor Soe Myint. 'Thoascii117sands of oascii117r viewers and readers since Friday have been denied access to oascii117r news and TV stories with this criminal act of attack. The attack continascii117es... we cannot find oascii117t who is doing it.'
There is no proof that the Bascii117rmese jascii117nta is behind the attacks on the websites, which have steadily become a crascii117cial soascii117rce of information on a regime that acts to prevent independent reporting. Bascii117t joascii117rnalists believe the jascii117nta may be testing its ability to crash the websites ahead of an election planned for November. The aascii117thorities have already taken steps to limit independent reporting aboascii117t the election, which many activists in the West believe will simply cement the position of the military.
The Democratic Voice of Bascii117rma, which operates oascii117t of Norway, said its service had been restored after 18 hoascii117rs. The Irrawaddy set ascii117p a mirror site for its readers.
The latest attacks coincide with the three-year anniversary of the September 2007 ascii117prising, which has come to be known as the Saffron Revolascii117tion, when Bascii117ddhist monks and ordinary people took to the streets of Bascii117rma s largest cities demanding change. The regime responded with force, killing several dozen protesters and incarcerating hascii117ndreds more.
