On Monday, March 20, 2023, Wai Phyo Myint, our Asia Pacific Policy Analyst, addressed the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council regarding the escalating internet shutdowns and surveillance being used to facilitate atrocious human rights violations in Myanmar.
In the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Myint highlighted how the military shuts down the internet before, during, and after military attacks on villages — including killings, arson, and destruction of property — to prevent documentation of the crimes committed.
Wai Phyo Myint raised the alarm that the military is also rapidly expanding a network of CCTV cameras, equipped with facial recognition technology, and has activated intercept surveillance capacities across telecommunications networks to allow mass surveillance of public and publicly accessible spaces, with a severe lack of transparency over the procurement of such technologies.
Our statement underscores the need for the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, unequivocally condemn the human rights violations of the military, and step up efforts to hold the military accountable.