Myanmar ARTICLE 19 having destroyed some of its towers since the coup.189 The 2 foreign firms in the country were the Norwegian company Telenor and the Qatari-owned Ooredoo. Telenor has now sold its Myanmar operations to a military-linked company, as described in the case study below; Ooredoo is seeking Myanmar military approval for a similar sale. Both companies had been under pressure from the military, which had ordered them to install surveillance software in the months before the coup.190 The main check on the military’s ability to restrict internet content and conduct surveillance is likely technical capacity limitations. While the military’s technical capacity is generally perceived to be relatively poor, at least in comparison with that of China and Vietnam, activists have said that they cannot take this for granted, given the high stakes involved and because the military uses an array of tactics to track people beyond simply issuing orders to telecommunications companies.191 The military is actively working to expand its access to surveillance technology, including through purchases from foreign companies, although this is secretive and public information on such transactions is not readily available. Chinese firms have provided CCTV and biometric technology to Myanmar on an ongoing basis, for example. 192 Indian firm Bharat Electronics, primarily owned by the Indian Government but with other shareholders including Goldman Sachs, has also provided military and dual-use technology to the military.193 Lack of transparency surrounding deals made before the coup makes it challenging to assess what surveillance tools the military has at its disposal. For example, Israeli company Cognyte Software won a contract to sell intercept spyware to Myanmar a month before the coup.194 A full discussion of issues regarding the trade in surveillance technology and spyware is beyond the scope of this paper. ____________________________________________ 189 Reuters, Attacks on Myanmar Telecom Towers Show Evolving Tactics in Conflict, 17 September 2021. F. Potkin and P. McPherson, How Myanmar’s Military Moved in on the Telecoms Sector to Spy on Citizens, Reuters, 18 March 2021. 191 Interview with Golda Benjamin, Access Now. 192 Access Now, Track and Target: FAQ on Myanmar CCTV Cameras and Facial Recognition, 4 August 2022; ARTICLE 19, Who Buys and Controls the CCTV? Myanmar’s Slippery Slope to Mass Surveillance, 2022. 193 Justice for Myanmar, Bharat Electronics Limited Supplying Technology to Myanmar since Attempted Military Coup, 14 June 2021. 194 F. Potkin and P. Mcpherson, Israel's Cognyte Won Tender to Sell Intercept Spyware to Myanmar before Coup – Documents, Reuters, 18 January 2023. 190 46