Irrawaddy-Sept 15
The Norwegian parent company of telecom operator Telenor Myanmar said Wednesday it could not maintain its presence in Myanmar, as doing so would require it to help the military regime conduct surveillance of its clients. “Developments since the military takeover made it clear to us that our continued presence would require Telenor Myanmar to activate intercept equipment for the use of Myanmar authorities,” Telenor Group said in a statement. The company said the use of such equipment is subject to Norwegian and international sanctions. “Operating such equipment in this situation would constitute a breach of our values and standards as a company. Ultimately, this conflict between local and international law and human rights principles makes continued presence in Myanmar impossible for Telenor Group,” it said. Telenor Group has been one of Myanmar’s largest investors since launching its operations in the country in 2014. It reported 18.2 million subscribers in its first quarter financial report for 2021. The company agreed to sell its Myanmar operation to M1 for US$105 million. M1 Group is owned by the billionaire Mikati family, who have a history of doing business in authoritarian countries and face unresolved allegations of corruption and terrorist financing.
Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/juntas-demand-to-spy-on-customers-prompts-telenor-to-leave-myanmar.html
