Burma’s military government is continuing to block free emails and internet messenger programs, including Google Talk and Gmail, according to internet users in Rangoon. The new blackout began in late June.

The regime has previously blocked Yahoo, Hotmail and Skype messenger programs.

Internet users say the junta’s Myanmar Teleport Company has now blocked their Google Talk and Gmail accounts using sophisticated methods. Myanmar Teleport evolved from Bagan Cybertech, which was owned by Ye Naing Win, a son of the detained former Gen Khin Nyunt.

Messenger programs like Google Talk have been popular for Internet users in Burma to communicate with friends abroad. According to one Internet user in Rangoon, some people have studied for overseas diplomas via the Internet. He said most of them have to rely on Gmails. He also said those people have now got into trouble.

Burma “implements one of the world’s most restrictive regimes of Internet control,” said OpenNet Initiative, a US-based research group in its Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Study.