The main Internet provider for Myanmar, the southeast Asian nation formerly known as Burma, has been under severe denial of service attack since at least October 25, according to the Myanmar Times.

The Times story focuses on the damage done to tourism since the online booking systems are unavailable. All such work must be done over the phone now.

Arbor Networks said in a blog post says that the attacks targeted the main Internet provider, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication (PTT). The attacks were well-distributed and Arbor estimated the volume at “between 10-15 Gbps (several hundred times more than enough to overwhelm the country’s 45 Mbps T3 terrestrial and satellite links).”

The reason for the attacks is unknown; Arbor pointed to Twitter and blogosphere chatter that suggested everything from government efforts to disrupt the Web ahead of the November 7 general elections to external, mysterious attackers.

The country also lost Internet connectivity last spring when an undersea cable in the region was accidentally cut, Arbor said.

Originally posted on PCMag’s Security Watch blog.