Previous 3 / 3 Next

Read the letter of inquiry from civil society organizations here (February 27, 2026). KDDI https://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/Q_20260227_KDDI_Eng.pdf Sumitomo https://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/Q_20260227_Sumitomo_Eng.pdf Read Sumitomo Corporation and KDDI Group’s responses: Sumitomo (The English letter follows the Japanese letter) https://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/A_20260326_Sumitomo.pdf KDDI Summit Global Myanmar Company Limited, Human Rights Policy https://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/KSGM Human Rights Policy.pdf KDDI (Japanese only) https://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/A_20260326_Sumitomo.pdf Contact: Yuka Kiguchi, Mekong Watch: contact@mekongwatch.org Yadanar Maung, Justice For Myanmar: media@justiceformyanmar.org Notes: (*1) https://www.justiceformyanmar.org/stories/silk-road-of-surveillance

Select target paragraph3

● ● ●

KDDI and Sumitomo must end irresponsible partnership with Myanmar junta telecom company responsible for surveillance and censorship

Statement / Open Letter

Preview

Language

Burmese
English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

Author(s)

Justice for Myanmar

Date Published: Jun 2, 2026

Abstract: Justice For Myanmar, Mekong Watch and five Japanese organizations have raised serious concerns that Japanese multinationals KDDI Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation’s continued partnership with the junta-controlled Myanma Posts and Telecommunication (MPT) is contributing to adverse human rights impacts in Myanmar.

The groups have urged KDDI and Sumitomo to end its irresponsible partnership with MPT and to responsibly exit from Myanmar.

Five years after the Myanmar military attempted a coup, the internet in Myanmar is among the most restricted in the world. The military junta’s digital surveillance and censorship has been escalated to unprecedented levels, as it staged a recent sham election. The illegal junta imposed cybersecurity and election related laws that criminalized speech, leading to orchestrated prosecutions against more than 400 people, including for online activity.

On February 27, 2026, the groups sent a letter to the companies addressing concerns raised by Justice For Myanmar’s investigation into the junta’s digital surveillance system, which exposed significant collaboration between the junta and the Chinese company Geedge Networks in implementing a commercial version of China’s "Great Firewall". This has given the junta unprecedented capabilities to track down, arrest, torture and kill civilians.

The report highlights that MPT was among the first operators to implement this far-reaching surveillance and censorship technology for the military junta (*1).

Link: source

Primary Documents

6a1e6c03e7da16cc372d7809_KSGM PR-Eng.pdf
English
Download View
6a1e8e773681650ff54e81c1_JPR_KSGM_M.pdf
Burmese
Download View

Myanmar Internet Project

Select target paragraph3

KDDI and Sumitomo must end irresponsible partnership with Myanmar junta telecom company responsible for surveillance and censorship

Primary Documents

Notifications