UNITED NATIONS, United States,  – The United Nations on Monday denounced Myanmar’s military rulers for choking off the internet amid a crackdown on anti-coup protests.

The UN envoy for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener spoke with the deputy commander of the Myanmar army, Soe Win, and warned that “network blackouts undermine core democratic principles,” UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

The envoy noted that such shutdowns “hurt key sectors, including banking, and heighten domestic tensions. And, so, we’ve made our concerns about this very clear,” said Haq.