Aung Kyaw Nyunt, “Government to build integrated data centre with S. Korean aid,” Myanmar Times, April 20, 2018,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/government-build-integrated-data-centre-s-korean-aid.html.
458
Kyaw Ko Ko, “Mandalay moves closer to e-government with data centre,” Myanmar Times, January 28, 2019,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/mandalay-moves-closer-e-government-data-centre.html.
459
Discussions among digital rights activists at the Myanmar Digital Rights Forum in Yangon on January 18, 2019.
460
Personal experience of the author when accompanying persons attending police interviews, Yangon, between January and May 2018.
461
Personal communications with a range of interviewees that have been arrested for protesting or for other forms of activism online, July 2017 to
March 2018.
462
“Myanmar Lawyer Says Evidence from Reuters Reporters’ Phones May Be ‘Tainted’,” The Irrawaddy, May 30, 2018,
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/myanmar-lawyer-says-evidence-reuters-reporters-phones-may-tainted.html.
463
Timothy LcLaughlin, “Security-tech companies once flocked to Myanmar. One firm’s tools were used against two journalists,” The Washington
Post, May 4, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/security-tech-companies-once-flocked-to-myanmar-one-firms-tools-wereused-against-two-journalists-/2019/05/04/d4e9f7f0-5b5d-11e9-b8e3-b03311fbbbfe_story.html?utm_term=.aa9108eef3db.
464
“The spyware used by Arab dictators has now shown up in Myanmar,” MIT Technology Review, July 10, 2019,
https://www.technologyreview.com/f/613939/spyware-dealers-spotted-in-myanmar/.
465
Moe Moe, “New Body to Track Online Instigators Who Harm Govt, Sovereignty,” The Irrawaddy, May 23, 2018,
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/new-body-track-online-instigators-harm-govt-sovereignty.html.
466
Moe Moe, “Parliament Approves Funds for Internet Oversight Body,” The Irrawaddy, March 21, 2018,
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/parliament-approves-funds-internet-oversight-body.html.
467
Nyein Zaw Lin, “Social media team will not spy on netizens, official says,” Myanmar Times, May 23, 2018, https://www.mmtimes.com/news/socialmedia-team-will-not-spy-netizens-official-says.html.
468
Zaw Zaw Htwe and Aung Kyaw Nyunt, “Critics rail against govt budget for monitoring of Facebook,” Myanmar Times, March 22, 2018,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/critics-rail-against-govt-budget-monitoring-facebook.html.
469
Nay Phyo Win, “Government allots over 6 billion kyats to form social media watchdog,” Democratic Voice of Burman (DVB), March 19, 2018,
http://images.dvb.no/news/government-allots-6-billion-kyats-form-social-media-watchdog/80207.
470
Nyein Zaw Lin, “Social media team will not spy on netizens, official says,” Myanmar Times, May 23, 2018, https://www.mmtimes.com/news/socialmedia-team-will-not-spy-netizens-official-says.html.
471
Personal communication with the head of a civil society organization working on digital rights, Yangon, June 2018.
472
Nyein Zaw Lin, “Social media team will not spy on netizens, official says,” Myanmar Times, May 23, 2018, https://www.mmtimes.com/news/socialmedia-team-will-not-spy-netizens-official-says.html.
473
Civil society attempts to engage with the SMMT in December 2018 were rebuffed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, staff at which
initially stated that they were not aware of the department and later failed to reply. Discussions with digital activists in Yangon, December 2018.
474
“Parliament to Debate $95-Million S. Korean Loan for Gov’t Data Center,” The Irrawaddy, December 3, 2018,
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/parliament-debate-95-million-s-korean-loan-govt-data-center.html.
475
Aung Kyaw Nyunt, “Government to build integrated data centre with S. Korean aid,” Myanmar Times, April 20, 2018,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/government-build-integrated-data-centre-s-korean-aid.html.
476
Kyaw Ko Ko, “Mandalay moves closer to e-government with data centre,” Myanmar Times, January 28, 2019,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/mandalay-moves-closer-e-government-data-centre.html.
477
Discussions among digital rights activists at the Myanmar Digital Rights Forum in Yangon on January 18, 2019.
478
One telecommunications operator has stated off the record that the police have repeatedly requested data without any form of court warrant.
Interview in Yangon, December 2018. Examples of efforts to better protect data include at least one civil society organization working with local
businesses in Yangon to develop privacy policies.
479
“WhatsApp the Media Platform of Choice for ARSA,” The Irrawaddy, June 12, 2018, https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/whatsapp-themedia-platform-of-choice-for-arsa.html.
480
“Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens [Unofficial translation MCRB],” Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business, March 8, 2017,
http://www.myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org/pdf/Law-Protecting-Privacy-and-Security-of-Citizens_en_unofficial.pdf; “Law Protecting the Privacy
and Security of Citizens,” Free Expression Myanmar, [n.d.], http://freeexpressionmyanmar.org/laws/law-protecting-the-privacy-and-security-ofcitizens/.
481
“Lack of Consultation on the Citizens Privacy and Security Law is a Missed Opportunity,” Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business, March 13,
2017, http://www.myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org/news/lack-of-consultation-citizens-privacy-and-security-law.html; Tin Htet Paing, “Critics
Skeptical of New Privacy Legislation,” The Irrawaddy, March 15, 2017, https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/critics-skeptical-of-new-privacylegislation.html.
482
Myat Thura, “Myanmar legislators seek amendment to stop privacy law abuse,” Myanmar Times, February 20, 2020,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/myanmar-legislators-seek-amendment-stop-privacy-law-abuse.html.
483
“Realising Digital Myanmar,” Telenor, February 2018, https://www.telenor.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Telenor-Realising-DigitalMyanmar-Report-06-February.pdf; “Chapter 4.3 Privacy,” SWIA, Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business, [n.d.], http://www.myanmarresponsiblebusiness.org/pdf/SWIA/ICT/Chapter-04.03-Privacy.pdf.
484
“Telecommunications Law,” Law. No. 31/2013, Article 75, Free Expression Myanmar, October 8, 2013, http://freeexpressionmyanmar.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/07/telecommunications-law-en.pdf.
485
“Telecommunications Law – Law. No. 31/2013,” Free Expression Myanmar, October 8, 2013, http://freeexpressionmyanmar.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/07/telecommunications-law-en.pdf.
486
“Telecommunications Law – Law. No. 31/2013,” Free Expression Myanmar, October 8, 2013, http://freeexpressionmyanmar.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/07/telecommunications-law-en.pdf.
487
Drug Policy Advocacy Group, “Guiding Drug Law Reform in Myanmar,” Transnational Institute (TNI), November 29, 2017,
https://www.tni.org/en/publication/guiding-drug-law-reform-in-myanmar.
488
Telenor is one of the only telecommunications operators in Myanmar that appears to proactively publish information on government requests, in
its annual Sustainable Business Briefings, see “Telenor Myanmar 6th Annual Sustainable Business Briefing 2019,” Telenor, 2019,
https://www.telenor.com.mm/en/about/sustainability; “Authority Requests Disclosure Report,” Telenor, 2018, https://www.telenor.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/03/Telenor-Authority-request-report-2018.pdf; Saw Yi Nandar, “Telcos say data helps police solve cases of missing persons,”
Myanmar Times, February 4, 2020, https://www.mmtimes.com/news/telcos-say-data-helps-police-solve-cases-missing-persons.html.
489
Saw Yi Nandar, “Telcos say data helps police solve cases of missing persons,” Myanmar Times, February 4, 2020,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/telcos-say-data-helps-police-solve-cases-missing-persons.html.
490
Saw Yi Nandar, “Telcos say data helps police solve cases of missing persons,” Myanmar Times, February 4, 2020,
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/telcos-say-data-helps-police-solve-cases-missing-persons.html.
491
Personal communication with a senior manager from a civil society organization working on telecommunications reform, Yangon, June 2018.
457
Free Expression Myanmar (FEM) and Freedom House - Freedom of the Net: Myanmar - အင်တာနက်ေပ*တွင် လွတ်လပ်မ/ - ြမန်မာ2ိ4င်ငံ - Page 59