The US Department of Commerce has sanctioned Mytel, the telecommunications business operated by Myanmar’s regime, for providing surveillance and financial support to the junta.
On Monday, the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security sanctioned Telecom International Myanmar Company Limited for acting contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests.
The bureau said Mytel was providing surveillance and financial support to Myanmar’s regime, enabling it to abuse human rights by tracking and identifying individuals and groups, including its own soldiers.
Justice for Myanmar, a group of covert activists campaigning for justice and accountability, said in 2022 that junta leader Min Aung Hlaing gave Mytel the names, ranks and military identity numbers of his personnel.
Mytel distributed free sim cards with the 0969 prefix, personalized with military ID numbers, enabling commanders to monitor their troops’ phone activity. If defectors retained their sim cards, they could be tracked.
Mytel is a joint venture between Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense-owned Viettel Investment Company and Myanmar National Telecom Holdings.
The regime’s Myanmar Economic Corporation owns a 28-percent stake in Mytel through the Star High Company.
Min Aung Hlaing attended the company’s launch event in 2018. Mytel profits help bankroll the regime and it uses military land for towers and other infrastructure.
Burma Campaign UK welcomed the Mytel sanctions, calling on the British government and European Union to do the same.
“Mytel is a jewel in the crown of the Burmese military business empire, and the time for sanctioning the company is long overdue,” said the group’s director, Mark Farmaner.
After the 2021 coup, the UK initially led the world with targeted sanctions against the sources of revenue, arms and equipment to the regime but since 2022 the pace of new sanctions has slowed with only two new sanctions rounds last year.
