Myanmar coup: YouTube removes channels run by army amid violence

Myanmar coup: YouTube removes channels run by army amid violence

YouTube has removed five channels run by Myanmar's military amid ongoing violence following a coup last month.

The video-sharing platform said on Friday that it had removed the channels in line with its community guidelines.

Myanmar has been gripped by mass protests demanding an end to military rule and the release of detained elected leaders.

Another protester was shot dead by security forces on Friday, in Mandalay, taking the death toll to at least 55.

The channels taken down by YouTube include the state network, MRTV, (Myanmar Radio and Television) as well as the military-owned Myawaddy Media, MWD Variety and MWD Myanmar, the platform said.

"We have terminated a number of channels and removed several videos from YouTube in accordance with our community guidelines and applicable laws," a YouTube spokeswoman said.

The platform is owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

In a separate development on Friday, local officials in India said a group of Myanmar police officers had crossed the border seeking refuge after refusing to carry out orders.

And Myanmar's deputy envoy to the UN, Tin Maung Naing, refused to take over from the current ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, who was fired last week after speaking out against the military.

The single death recorded on Friday capped the bloodiest week in Myanmar since the military overthrew the country's democratic government on 1 February, with at least 38 people killed on Wednesday alone.

YouTube's decision to take down military channels comes over a week after Facebook banned all pages run by Myanmar's armed forces.

In December, shortly after Myanmar's general election, Google blocked 34 YouTube channels linked to the country.

A review by the Reuters news agency found many dozens of channels had promoted election misinformation while posing either as news outlets or political programmes.-BBC