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New wave of Myanmese hackers claim to have targeted Thai government websites

Nationalist attacks on other countries’ websites are not new, but those by Myanmar-based groups have increased and have also hit domestic media perceived to be critical of government policies.

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Cyberattacks from Myanmar-based groups have increased in recent years. Photo: Reuters

Myanmese hackers say they have attacked Thai government websites since early January and stolen data, part of a long-running, broader campaign against those critical of Myanmar’s government.

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The Blink Hacker Group said in Facebook posts and in an email interview that its attacks were in retaliation for Thailand sentencing two Myanmese to death for the murder of two British backpackers late last year.

The group said it posted online data it took from websites of the Thai prison agency and justice ministry, saying databases from any government websites it hacked “should be made public”.

Thai police said they had yet to determine who was behind the attacks, but denied those responsible were from Myanmar.

It was only a nuisance. We got the websites running again with no trouble at all
Dechnarong Suthicharnbancha, Royal Thai Police

Dechnarong Suthicharnbancha, a spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, said there had been little impact from the attacks on police websites.

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“It was only a nuisance,” he said. “We got the websites running again with no trouble at all.”

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