According to human rights and technology monitoring groups, China has gained complete control over Myanmar citizens’ internet usage. This move, facilitated by military leader Min Aung Hlaing, effectively places the country’s digital sovereignty in Chinese hands. The revelation came through leaked documents about China’s Great Firewall censorship system, causing significant ripples across international media, digital technology sectors, and political spheres.
A collaborative investigation by organizations including InterSecLab, Justice For Myanmar, and Amnesty International revealed that Chinese company Geedge Networks has installed the Tiangou Secure Gateway (TSG) internet censorship system in Myanmar. This system can monitor internet activities of over 33 million Myanmar citizens. The infrastructure has been implemented across 26 data centers, including 13 telecommunications companies such as ATOM, Ooreedoo, and MPT.
The investigation uncovered that Geedge Networks maintains close ties with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which operates under direct Chinese government control. This relationship raises serious concerns about the Chinese government’s potential direct access to Myanmar citizens’ personal data and online activities. The system can reportedly process and monitor approximately 81 million internet interactions in real-time, creating an unprecedented level of surveillance capability.
Digital rights experts warn that this development affects not just political activists but every Myanmar citizen, including military officials and their supporters. The system’s implementation represents a significant compromise of Myanmar’s digital sovereignty, allowing foreign powers to potentially monitor, analyze, and control the nation’s internet infrastructure. This situation has created a concerning scenario where a foreign power has gained extensive access to sensitive national data, potentially threatening Myanmar’s independence in the digital sphere.
