16 September :Norwegian police have launched an investigation into telecommunications company Telenor over allegations that it assisted Myanmar’s military authorities in committing crimes against humanity.
The allegations relate to the period following Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, when the junta carried out widespread repression against civilians. In a joint statement on Tuesday, Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service and the Police Security Service said the case also involves alleged violations of sanctions. As part of the investigation, Telenor’s headquarters in Oslo were raided.
Citing investigators, Reuters reported that Telenor handed over customers’ call histories and traffic data to Myanmar’s military authorities while the junta was carrying out its crackdown.
Telenor, which fully withdrew from Myanmar in March 2022, said it was cooperating fully with the investigation. The company also pledged to provide the maximum possible assistance to clarify the circumstances.
Norwegian police, however, alleged that surveillance equipment was transferred as part of the sale of Telenor’s Myanmar business despite sanctions being in place. The investigation is focused on the transfer, which allegedly took place without prior approval from Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Myanmar government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Earlier this year, a Swedish non-profit organisation filed a class-action lawsuit against Telenor. The case alleged that the company handed over call records and location data belonging to political activists opposed to the junta to the military. The information allegedly contributed to the execution of at least one activist.
In a statement to Reuters, Telenor said the military coup had been a major tragedy for the people of Myanmar.
“We were faced with a situation where there were no good alternatives,” the company said. “If we had refused to comply with orders from the military authorities, our employees could have faced imprisonment, torture and even the death penalty. We could not put the lives of our employees at risk.”
Telenor also said that, so far, no company official had been formally charged or personally placed under investigation.
An email sent to Myanmar’s embassy in Oslo did not receive an immediate response.
Yadanar Maung, a spokesperson for activist group Justice For Myanmar, told Reuters that the organisation welcomed the Norwegian police’s decision to finally investigate Telenor over alleged violations of law in Myanmar.
Source: Reuters