MYANMAR – The United States has announced sanctions against the telecommunications company Mytel for providing surveillance services and financial support to the coup d’état.
The sanctions were announced against Mytel, a military-owned company from Myanmar, 11 Chinese technology companies and one Pakistani technology company by the Bureau of Industry and Security of US Department of Commerce on January 6th.
Mytel, a telecommunications company jointly owned by the Myanmar junta council and Viettel, a Vietnamese company, is providing security services and financial support, so the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security said the actions could lead to human rights abuses through the tracking and identification of individuals and groups using their networks.
After the 2021 military coup, the public boycotted the Mytel telecommunications company and Justice For Myanmar also revealed that Mytel is a business that benefits the junta council and does not care about Myanmar’s laws.
Justice For Myanmar said that “Mytel is a business that makes more money for the military leadership. The operations are also supported by the Mytel system. In fact, they are supporting the military dictatorship with the money they get from Mytel users.”
Mytel Communications Company is owned by the Myanmar Terrorist War Council and Star High Company with 51 percent; 49 percent is owned by Viettel Company, which is owned by the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam.
