Exclusive: Myanmar’s junta rolls out Chinese camera surveillance systems in more cities

SINGAPORE, July 11 (Reuters) – Myanmar’s junta authorities is putting in Chinese language-built cameras with facial recognition capabilities in additional cities throughout the nation, three individuals with direct data of the matter mentioned.

In tenders to obtain and set up the safety cameras and facial recognition expertise, the plans are described as protected metropolis tasks aimed toward sustaining safety and, in some circumstances, preserving civil peace, mentioned the people who find themselves or have been concerned within the tasks.

Because the February 2021 coup, native authorities have began new digital camera surveillance tasks for no less than 5 cities together with Mawlamyine – the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis, in line with data from the three individuals who requested to not be recognized for concern of reprisals by the junta.

The brand new tasks are along with 5 cities the place digital camera programs touted as crime prevention measures have been both put in or deliberate by the earlier authorities led by Aung San Suu Kyi, in line with the sources and native media.

A junta spokesman didn’t reply Reuters calls looking for remark. Not one of the 10 municipal governments, all of that are managed by the junta, answered calls looking for remark. Reuters was not in a position to evaluate the tenders or go to the cities to confirm the set up of the cameras.

The junta is planning digital camera surveillance programs for cities in every of Myanmar’s seven states and 7 areas, mentioned one of many sources who was briefed on the junta’s plans on two events by totally different individuals.

The dimensions of the junta’s efforts to roll out digital camera surveillance programs has not been beforehand reported.

The tenders have been received by native procurement companies together with Fisca Safety & Communication and Naung Yoe Applied sciences Co, the three sources mentioned. The companies supply the cameras and a few associated expertise from Chinese language surveillance giants Zhejiang Dahua Know-how (002236.SZ) (Dahua), Huawei Applied sciences Co Ltd (HWT.UL) and Hikvision (002415.SZ), the three sources added.

Fisca and Naung Yoe, each headquartered in Yangon, didn’t reply to requests for remark.

Huawei and Dahua didn’t reply to Reuters requests for remark. Hikvision mentioned in an announcement it has by no means offered on to Myanmar authorities authorities and its clients in abroad markets are distributors and integrators. It additionally mentioned it had not offered facial recognition expertise into the nation.

Hikvision didn’t reply to queries about whether or not it is aware of of circumstances the place its {hardware} able to operating facial recognition software program had been offered into Myanmar.

The three sources additionally mentioned Myanmar procurement companies that received the tenders typically use facial recognition software program developed by native and regional corporations because the Chinese language software program licenses are expensive. They didn’t title the software program corporations.

SURVEILLANCE CONCERNS

Closed-circuit tv (CCTV) or video surveillance programs are utilized by many cities around the globe to discourage crime. More and more controversial facial recognition software program can be being employed, with the expertise gaining floor in the USA for legislation enforcement functions. Some refined programs, comparable to these utilized in Chinese language cities, use synthetic intelligence to match real-time photographs of individuals in opposition to a database of photographs. learn extra

The individuals with direct data of the Myanmar tasks and human rights teams mentioned they concern the brand new tasks may very well be used to crack down on activists and resistance teams, each of which have been designated as terrorists by the junta within the wake of its coup.

They weren’t in a position to present proof of the junta’s intentions.

“Surveillance cameras pose a severe danger to (Myanmar’s) democracy activists as a result of the army and police can use them to trace their actions, determine connections between activists, establish protected homes and different gathering spots, and acknowledge and intercept vehicles and bikes utilized by activists,” Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson mentioned in an announcement to Reuters.

Myanmar’s junta is engaged in widespread surveillance. It has put in intercept spyware and adware at telecom and web suppliers to listen in on communications of its residents and deployed “data fight” items to observe and assault dissenters on-line, Reuters has reported. learn extra

The military has officers devoted to analysing surveillance digital camera feeds, Nyi Thuta, a former captain who defected from the army in late February 2021, advised Reuters. He mentioned he was not conscious of what number of officers have been assigned to this work, however described visiting CCTV management rooms staffed by troopers within the capital Naypyidaw. Reuters was unable to independently confirm this and the junta spokesman didn’t reply to a request for remark.

TEN CITIES

Mawlamyine held a young for a digital camera surveillance system shortly after the coup, in line with the three sources. The cities of Taunggyi and Dawei adopted within the months after, two of them mentioned.

The Mawlamyine tender was collectively received by Fisca and Naung Yoe, the 2 sources mentioned. The tenders for Dawei and Taunggyi went to Fisca, mentioned one supply, including that every metropolis has seen a whole lot of Dahua cameras put in this 12 months.

In Mawlamyine, there at the moment are over 200 Dahua cameras and extra are as a result of be put in, one other of the sources mentioned.

Dahua cameras have been put in this 12 months in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin, a area of ethnic unrest, one supply mentioned, including that the federal government of Hpa-an metropolis has begun early discussions a couple of digital camera system.

Earlier than the coup, Suu Kyi’s authorities put in CCTV cameras in Naypyidaw and Yangon, Myanmar’s greatest metropolis, whereas the town of Mandalay had additionally inked an settlement for a digital camera surveillance system with Huawei, in line with native media and two sources.

Huawei cameras have been mixed with facial recognition software program in Naypyidaw, one supply mentioned. In Yangon, the surveillance system consists of a Hikvision visitors command centre and a mixture of digital camera manufacturers, mentioned one other of the sources.

Because the coup, the junta has advised Mandalay – Myanmar’s second-largest metropolis – to maneuver extra shortly on putting in cameras, two sources mentioned. One supply mentioned that no less than 300 Huawei cameras have been put in earlier than the coup, with a whole lot extra to come back.

Town of Bagan – a historic vacationer centre – additionally held a young for a digital camera surveillance system earlier than the coup, two sources mentioned.

Within the state of Rakhine, the place the army is battling an ethnic armed group, CCTV programs with Huawei cameras have been deployed by Myanmar’s safety forces since 2019 within the metropolis of Sittwe and a few villages, one supply mentioned.

Reporting by Fanny Potkin; Further reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen, Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Poppy McPherson in Bangkok; Enhancing by Edwina Gibbs

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.