Fourth Year Under Myanmar Military’s Digital Iron Curtain: A Reflecti... 2 of 5 https://www.techpolicy.press/fourth-year-under-myanmar-militarys-digit... Cross-border support is enabling the junta’s digital war The military’s recent escalations in cyber repression have only been made possible with the help of foreign technology. In 2024, China and India deepened their support for Myanmar’s junta, adding to capabilities initially established via Western technologies that found their way into the military’s hands from transactions happening before and after the coup. This technological support across international borders lies at the foundation of a festering surveillance state. China’s role: building Myanmar’s firewall and surveillance state A major escalation involved installing an advanced firewall system on the nation's internet gateways, blocking people’s access to secure communication through VPNs and encrypted messaging apps. Companies from the People’s Republic of China, particularly Geedge Networks (Jizhi (Hainna) Information Technology Company Limited), played a key role in deploying the military’s internet gateway firewall systems, modeled after China’s infamous Great Firewall. Further, in October 2024, China reportedly provided technical support to Myanmar’s military in conducting a national census. This census was not about governance — it was a military intelligence operation that identified and tracked dissidents. Many activists were arrested in Yangon during the data collection period, raising concerns that census data was used for targeted crackdowns. India’s role: supporting the e-ID system and mass profiling Since the coup, Myanmar’s military has pushed ahead with the e-ID project, an expansive digital identification system, without proper privacy safeguards. In July 2024, India’s Aadhaar system technical teams appeared to have provided expertise and biometric data-collecting tools developed by Indian technology firms. This also allegedly included systems for managing the regime’s large e-ID database holding personal information collected from over 52 million residents and 16 million household registrations, and the biometric data — like facial scans, iris scans, and fingerprints — of many coerced into registering. Although enrolment in the e-ID is optional on paper, it has become mandatory in practice due to its ubiquitous need. In early 2024, following a surge in passport applications from young people trying to flee military conscription law, the junta made e-ID a requirement for obtaining passport and border passes. 3/25/25, 5:10 PM