June 19, 2024

Justice For Myanmar has revealed that the Mascots Group of Companies, led by Dr. Win Kyaw and his wife Khine Khaing, is acting as an intermediary for the Myanmar military’s digital authoritarianism efforts. The group operates a network of over 30 companies across Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.

According to Justice For Myanmar’s investigation, two Chinese companies, Geedge Networks and Jizhi (Hainan) Information Technology Company Limited, are involved in the military’s digital surveillance and internet censorship project in Myanmar. These companies have supplied equipment to Myanmar, enabling the crackdown on VPN usage.

Geedge Networks has provided Taingou Secure Gateway (TSG), which utilizes deep packet inspection technology to monitor and filter internet traffic, and can act as a firewall to block applications, including VPNs. Another product, Cyber Narrator, is designed to monitor internet traffic and respond to potential threats, including VPN usage.

Additionally, China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (CEIEC), a state-owned enterprise, is reportedly involved in developing a location tracking system for the military-controlled Ministry of Communications.

The Mascots Group of Companies facilitates these transactions between the Chinese companies and the military junta.

“The Chinese companies and their Myanmar cronies are supplying surveillance and censorship technologies to the illegitimate military regime, affecting millions of people,” said Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Ma Yatanar Maung.

Geedge Networks’ censorship systems are set to further infringe on the freedom of expression of Myanmar’s citizens, forming part of the military’s broader campaign against independent news sources.

“Governments must take swift action through targeted sanctions against the Myanmar military’s international accomplices to hold them accountable for their involvement in the junta’s international crimes,” Ma Yatanar Maung emphasized.