Who buys and controls the CCTV? Back to contents 68 In Myanmar, facial recognition cameras are now being used to monitor and track people down.131 In fact, the Myanmar population is well aware of the presence and dangers of watchful eyes on every corner in big cities such as Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw. Myanmar protesters in February and March 2021 took inspiration from the masked protesters from Hong Kong, and covered, or even destroyed, CCTVs in some areas during the protests. In October 2021, the youth resistance group spread pamphlets132 in Yangon to request people to remove CCTV from their houses in case the junta police forces obtain the footage. When used along with CCTVs, facial recognition can prove a dangerous technology in helping the military find out the whereabouts of activists who are hiding. It is also worth noting that Naypyidaw, one of the most well-equipped cities in relation to surveillance systems, was the first city to quell protests during the early months of the uprising. It is reported133 that the existing CCTVs helped the military identify and arrest protesters in Naypyidaw. Right of access to information “Several important details about Myanmar’s CCTV network remain unknown. Equipment specifications, extent of current use, accountability mechanisms surrounding use and responsible authorities, for instance, are all unanswered questions.” The right of access to information is recognised as a key element of the right of freedom of expression in the UDHR and ICCPR. In 2011, the UN Human Rights Committee interpreted the scope of Article 19 of the ICCPR to include ensuring the right to information held by public bodies. It requires that states respond to requests for information and proactively disseminate information in the public interest and that the access is ‘easy, prompt, effective and practical’.134 The Human Rights Committee also laid down that states must enact ‘necessary procedures’