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Soldiers pose close to military vehicles as protesters gather in Yangon, Myanmar, on February 15, 2021, to protest the military takeover. REUTERS/File Photo/Stringer Reuters, SINGAPORE, July 5 – The junta has instructed senior foreign executives of major telecommunications companies in Myanmar that they must not leave the country without authorization, according to a person with firsthand knowledge of the situation. Senior executives, including foreigners and Myanmar nationals, must get special permission to leave the country, according to a classified order issued by Myanmar’s Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD) in mid-June, the individual added. Telecom providers received a second letter a week later, telling them they had until Monday, July 5 to fully implement intercept technology they had been instructed to install to allow authorities to spy on calls, messages, and web traffic as well as monitor people on their own, according to the source. The directives have not been viewed by Reuters. The directions come as a result of the junta’s insistence on the corporations to activate the spyware technology, despite daily protests from its opponents and an increasing number of insurgencies. find out more A military spokeswoman did not respond to several requests for comment. The junta has never commented on the electronic surveillance program, but shortly after taking power, it announced its intention to pass a cybersecurity bill that would require telecoms providers to provide data when requested and to remove or block any content deemed to be disrupting “unity, stability, and peace.” It also changed privacy regulations to allow security forces to eavesdrop conversations without fear of retaliation. The travel ban follows increased pressure from military officials to complete the surveillance equipment installation. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, claimed the prohibition was intended to put pressure on telecoms companies to finish activating the spyware equipment, despite the fact that the order does not state why. Three other telecoms sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the authorities had increased pressure on the businesses to execute the intercept, but declined to specify. Officials from the junta had frequently urged corporations not to disclose publicly or to the media about the intercept, according to two people. Telenor did not respond to a request for comment. Ooredoo, state-owned MPT, and Mytel, a joint venture between Vietnam’s Viettel and a Myanmar military-owned corporation, did not immediately respond to demands for comment. Reuters revealed in May that telecom and internet service providers were ordered to install intercept spyware months before the Feb. 1 coup, allowing the army to eavesdrop on people’ communications. find out more Although Reuters was unable to determine how widely the surveillance technology has been installed and used, four individuals said Telenor ASA (TEL.OL) of Norway and Ooredoo QPSC (ORDS.QA) of Qatar have failed to fully comply. On February 1, the military stopped internet access, and it has yet to be fully restored, with telecommunications receiving daily lists of websites and activist phone numbers to block. The steps have cast doubt on Myanmar’s telecom sector, which had been one of the world’s fastest-growing. Telenor stated on Friday that it is reviewing its business in Myanmar, with a source telling Reuters that the company is considering selling its Myanmar arm. find out more Fanny Potkin contributed reporting from Singapore; Poppy McPherson contributed additional reporting from Bangkok; and Matthew Tostevin, William Mallard, and Daniel Wallis edited the piece. The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles are our standards./nRead More

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