Life in Myanmar is increasingly perilous for its citizens as the military junta, backed by China, intensifies its oppressive measures. Residents in resistance-controlled areas face bombings, while those under government control endure severe repression. The junta’s strategies also encompass advanced digital surveillance tactics, employing technologies like AI, digital ID cards, and facial recognition to monitor their population.
The junta seeks to stifle financial support for the resistance and prevent young citizens from escaping conscription. Chinese corporations are deeply entwined in these suppression efforts. Companies such as Huawei and Geedge Networks are reportedly supplying tools that facilitate digital oppression. Geedge Networks’ product, the Taingou Secure Gateway, utilizes deep packet inspection to decipher encrypted communications, effectively allowing the junta to keep tabs on its citizens.
Hikvision, which has faced international sanctions for its complicity in the Uyghur genocide, is also implicated in this surveillance system. The China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (CEIEC) contributes with a location-tracking system tailored for Myanmar’s military rulers. China’s support has enabled the junta to execute a census that critics argue is a thinly veiled attempt to tighten state surveillance ahead of scheduled elections in 2025. With opposition parties banned from participating, the legitimacy of this census is in serious question.
During October 2024, the junta conducted this controversial census using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing technology. Approximately 42,000 enumerators, armed with mobile tablets, gathered data from over 13 million households. The collected information feeds into a “National Database,” merging data from National Registration Identity Cards and mobile number registrations with intelligence from various services, thus enhancing the junta’s surveillance capacity.
In recent discussions between China’s public security minister and Myanmar’s home minister, there was a commitment to bolster support for China’s Global Security Initiative. Launched by Xi Jinping, this initiative aims to reshape global security dynamics and position China as a dominant security provider. The GSI underscores China’s strategy to export its security norms globally, promoting alternatives to Western models through platforms like the UN, ASEAN, and BRICS.
The Mekong region serves as a proving ground for these efforts. China has portrayed itself as a stabilizing force, claiming to combat organized crime and enhance border security. This narrative has facilitated the expansion of its security presence in the region. The Lancang-Mekong Law Enforcement Cooperation Center permits the permanent deployment of armed officers in northern Laos, which further extends Chinese influence into volatile areas such as the Golden Triangle.
In Myanmar, legal alterations by the junta now permit foreign security firms, often staffed by former soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army, to be armed. This maneuver allows China to exercise military-like control without the need for an official troop presence. These firms protect strategic initiatives such as Belt and Road projects while also ensuring the security of critical infrastructures like pipelines and ports.
The integration of surveillance technologies and security services positions these companies as essential players in Myanmar. They bolster the junta’s capacity to enforce control and instill fear among the populace. The presence of Chinese security forces not only aims to safeguard investments but also serves to consolidate the military’s grip on power, making resistance more challenging.
The implications are grave. As Beijing fortifies its foothold in Myanmar, the military junta secures its position while civilians bear the brunt of the heightened repression. This collaboration ensures a relentless cycle of suffering for the Burmese people, who find themselves trapped under oppressive measures that only grow more stringent. While the junta stands to benefit, the populace faces an uncertain and harrowing future.
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