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

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

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

Since the February 2021 coup, native authorities have began new camera surveillance tasks for not less than 5 cities together with Mawlamyine – the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis, in keeping with data from the three individuals who requested to not be recognized for worry of reprisals by the junta.

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

A junta spokesman didn’t reply Reuters calls looking for remark. None of the ten municipal governments, all of that are managed by the junta, answered calls looking for remark. Reuters was not capable of evaluate the tenders or go to the cities to confirm the set up of the cameras.

The junta is planning camera surveillance systems 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 completely different folks.

The scale of the junta’s efforts to roll out camera surveillance systems has not been beforehand reported.

The tenders have been received by native procurement corporations together with Fisca Security & Communication and Naung Yoe Technologies Co, the three sources mentioned. The corporations supply the cameras and a few associated know-how from Chinese surveillance giants Zhejiang Dahua Technology (Dahua), Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Hikvision, 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 a press release it has by no means bought on to Myanmar authorities authorities and its prospects in abroad markets are distributors and integrators. It additionally mentioned it had not bought facial recognition know-how 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 working facial recognition software program had been bought into Myanmar.

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

SURVEILLANCE CONCERNS

Closed-circuit tv (CCTV) or video surveillance systems are utilized by many cities all over the world to discourage crime. Increasingly controversial facial recognition software program can also be being employed, with the know-how gaining floor in the United States for legislation enforcement functions. Some refined systems, akin to these used in Chinese cities, use synthetic intelligence to match real-time photos of individuals towards a database of photos.

The folks with direct data of the Myanmar tasks and human rights teams mentioned they worry 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 in the wake of its coup.

They weren’t capable of present proof of the junta’s intentions.

“Surveillance cameras pose a severe danger to (Myanmar’s) democracy activists as a result of the navy and police can use them to trace their actions, determine out connections between activists, establish secure 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 a press release to Reuters.

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

The military has officers devoted to analysing surveillance camera feeds, Nyi Thuta, a former captain who defected from the navy in late February 2021, instructed 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 in 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 camera surveillance system shortly after the coup, in keeping with the three sources. The cities of Taunggyi and Dawei adopted in 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 tons of of Dahua cameras put in this yr.

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

Dahua cameras have been put in this yr 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 few camera system.

Before the coup, Suu Kyi’s authorities put in CCTV cameras in Naypyidaw and Yangon, Myanmar’s largest metropolis, whereas the town of Mandalay had additionally inked an settlement for a camera surveillance system with Huawei, in keeping 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 camera manufacturers, mentioned one other of the sources.

Since the coup, the junta has instructed Mandalay – Myanmar’s second-largest metropolis – to maneuver more rapidly on putting in cameras, two sources mentioned. One supply mentioned that not less than 300 Huawei cameras have been put in earlier than the coup, with tons of more to return.

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

In the state of Rakhine, the place the navy is battling an ethnic armed group, CCTV systems with Huawei cameras have been deployed by Myanmar’s safety forces since 2019 in the town of Sittwe and a few villages, one supply mentioned.

(Reporting by Fanny Potkin; Additional reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen, Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Poppy McPherson in Bangkok; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)



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