Who buys and controls the CCTV? Back to contents 52 no difference in how the two regional governments mandated companies to install CCTVs in Yangon and Naypyidaw – both the NLD government and the military have given permission to a select few companies that have close military ties or were founded by retired former generals. This is likely to have helped the military junta gain relatively easier access to the infrastructure and to continue pushing the project with the same companies. It is apparent from the Mawlamyine example that the junta has allowed the same companies within their influence to work on the new projects. It also shows that Huawei has an almost universal presence in providing basic equipment. “For the Myanmar government, decisions to purchase systems and equipment are solely based on cost rather than on safeguards for people’s rights.” Throughout our interviews, civil society expressed that the government will, by default, opt for cheaper options, such as Huawei, regardless of privacy considerations.105 Indeed, for the Myanmar Government under the NLD, the decision on purchasing the systems and equipment solely based on cost rather than on safeguards for human rights seemed the chosen approach. High-tech CCTVs (such as those equipped with face recognition) are not the only Huawei products potentially encroaching on public space in the county; Huawei has also offered many aspects of digital integration in Myanmar’s transformation from banking106 to cloud services.107