Myanmar’s junta has barred the senior executives of major telecom companies from leaving the country which applies both for local and foreign executives. If any of them wants to leave Myanmar, they have been asked to get prior approval from the government. Reuters quoted a source who knew the matter directly as saying.
According to reports, the confidential instructions were issued in mid-June from Myanmar’s Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD). It has asked local and foreign executives to get special approval before leaving the country. A week later, a second letter was sent to telecom companies. It instructed them to fully implement the intercept technology by July 5.
They have previously been asked to install the intercept technology to let the junta spy on phone calls, text messages, web traffic and tracking the users. The country’s telecom companies have expressed their displeasure to the media under direct pressure from the military junta.
However, a spokesman for the country’s military authorities declined to comment.
The military junta has never commented on electronic surveillance efforts before. But they took the initiative to pass a cybersecurity law soon after seizing power. Under this, whenever required, the government has to provide telecommunication data. No content can be deleted or blocked.
The junta has justified these initiatives as necessary so that the unity, stability and peace of the country are not at risk. For the same reason, they amended the Privacy Act to allow security guards to intercept telecommunications effortlessly. Finally, the junta has banned executives from leaving the country after installing intercepting equipment.
