iii. Tech companies should not enable repression and must uphold human rights
standards: Beyond social media platforms, other tech companies play a critical role in
enabling and resisting digital repression.
We call on:
6.3
•
Telecom and internet service providers to not comply with surveillance
demands made by the junta and ensure the continuity of secure and reliable
communication services.
•
Connectivity providers, including satellite companies, to prioritise access for
humanitarian and civil society purposes, and to safeguard these services from
restrictions imposed under junta pressure.
•
Companies supplying surveillance, interception or biometric technologies
to Myanmar to immediately suspend sales that enable repression, and for
international regulators to apply strict human rights due diligence and export
controls in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
and related international standards.
International non-government organisations (INGOs) and
donor organisations
INGOs and donors have a crucial role to play in supporting WHRDs and other prodemocracy activists and raising awareness of digital repression in Myanmar.
We urge INGOs and donors to:
i.
Provide digital security support: As Myanmar has become a surveillance state, it is
increasingly difficult and dangerous for WHRDs and other activists to communicate
securely. Beyond the financial burden of replacing devices and SIM cards, defenders
face rising risks of interception, tracking and digital profiling. INGOs and donors
should invest in robust digital security support, including tailored training, and the
development of secure tools and trusted connectivity alternatives for those operating
in high-risk or shutdown areas.
ii.
Support rehabilitation programmes: Due to doxxing, online sexual harassment and
other threats, WHRDs in particular suffer serious psychological and even physical
harm. Donors should prioritise mental health services to support traumatised
activists, including creating safe houses and rehabilitation programmes as part of
broader protection strategies.
iii. Mobilise international solidarity and advocacy: Increased coordination among
regional and global civil society actors to amplify the crisis of digital repression in
Myanmar is necessary. This includes raising the profile of research into the conditions
of digital repression in Myanmar in international advocacy spaces, producing joint
statements and influencing relevant UN and multilateral mechanisms.
25
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