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OSLO (Reuters) -Norway’s Telenor stated on Friday it’s exploring methods to offer assist to Myanmar telecom customers dealing with digital safety dangers after its exit from the Southeast Asian nation this 12 months.
Following a navy coup in Myanmar in 2021, Telenor introduced the sale of its enterprise there to keep away from European Union sanctions after strain from the junta to activate intercept surveillance know-how.
Telenor accomplished the exit regardless of criticism from staff and activists who stated the handover might put the info of 18 million folks inside attain of the ruling navy.
The corporate on Friday stated it had agreed with 474 civil society teams, beneath an OECD criticism process, to collectively choose an unbiased researcher to conduct a threat examine and assist actions really useful.
This may embrace an exploration “of offering assist to Myanmar residents who’re dealing with dangers and impacts related to their digital footprint”, it stated in a press release.
Each events accepted there have been “severe dangers” to customers in Myanmar in addition to to former staff for affiliation with the navy.
The objective is to achieve full settlement by the top of 2022, stated Telenor and the Centre for Analysis on Multinational Firms, which represents the civil society organisations.
Telenor offered the enterprise for $105 million to Lebanese funding agency M1 and Shwe Byain Phyu, a neighborhood agency whose chairman had a historical past of enterprise ties to the navy. They rebranded the corporate as Atom.
A former Telenor Myanmar worker stated employees confronted dangers from each the navy and armed pro-democracy opposition teams.
The previous worker and one other particular person with data of the matter stated the navy recurrently made calls for for buyer information, together with members of the pro-democracy motion.
The sale put “all people’s lives in danger,” they stated. “We would like Telenor to take some duty,” they added, asking for safety and assist for workers, together with provides of relocation or compensation.
Atom didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. A spokesman for the Myanmar navy didn’t reply cellphone calls in search of remark.
Telenor informed Reuters it shared a “deep concern for the folks of Myanmar” and meant to hearken to all considerations because it strikes ahead within the mediation course of.
(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, Gwladys Fouche and Poppy McPherson; Modifying by Robert Birsel and Elaine Hardcastle)
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