Facebook takes down pages of Myanmar’s state-run TV channel

Facebook took down the pages of Myanmar’s state-run television on Monday, a day after the channel had warned anti-coup protesters against taking action and said that confrontation could put lives at risk.

“In line with our global policies, we’ve removed the MRTV and MRTV Live Pages from Facebook for repeated violations of our Community Standards, including our violence and incitement policy,” said Rafael Frankel, Director of Public Policy, APAC, Emerging Markets.

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Late on Sunday, state-owned media MRTV warned that protesters they could get killed.

“Protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will suffer loss of life,” the broadcaster said.

The junta’s warning didn’t discourage people from turning out in their tens of thousands.

Myanmar police began to disperse pro-democracy protesters on Monday as businesses around the country shut in a general strike called to oppose the military coup despite a threat from authorities that confrontation could cost lives.

Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the Feb. 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

There were protests in cities and towns across the country on Monday, from the northern hills on the border with China to the central plains, the Irrawaddy river delta and the southern tip of the panhandle, images on social media showed.

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