New revelations have emerged showing that Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor handed over sensitive personal data of Myanmar citizens to the military council following the 2021 coup. Telenor complied with the military council’s demands to block websites, cut phone lines, and transferred internet usage data of over 1,300 users. Among those affected by these actions was Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently being arbitrarily detained by the military council.
According to Telenor’s internal assessments, providing such data to the military council could result in the arrest of nearly 500 users. Furthermore, the military council itself stated that they could use the obtained information to arrest citizens and impose prison sentences ranging from three to seven years. Telenor never refused any of the military council’s demands, citing concerns for their staff members’ safety as justification.
The military council primarily sought information about prominent figures, requesting data related to artists, writers, and film directors who supported Aung San Suu Kyi and democracy. The information Telenor provided included users’ names, addresses, call records, text messages, and last known locations. This data breach put many young people in life-threatening situations. The revelations have sparked international criticism, particularly from Kim Aris, Aung San Suu Kyi’s son, who strongly condemned Telenor’s actions during an interview in London. The company’s cooperation with the military council has raised serious questions about corporate responsibility in situations of political oppression and human rights violations.
