When she needs to communicate with her fellow activists, she uses the encrypted messaging app Telegram, and is always careful to use a virtual private network, or VPN. I’m using Telenor and Ooredoo and I feel more secure,” she told Frontier in a recent interview, referring to Myanmar’s two foreign mobile operators.Įven so, she doesn’t speak openly on the phone anymore like many people, she suspects the authorities are monitoring her calls. “I’ll never use my Mytel SIM again because I don’t trust them. The junta’s brutal suppression of the protests forced her into hiding, and suddenly digital security was a life-or-death matter. Since the coup, Myat Su Mon has emerged as a protest leader in the town of Kalay in Sagaing Region, where opposition to military rule has been particularly fierce.
She used a SIM from military-linked mobile operator Mytel, spoke openly on phone calls and sent unencrypted messages using Facebook Messenger.
A police cybersecurity team is working with state- and military-owned mobile operators to monitor phone users in real time, and to identify and track regime opponents online.īefore February 1, activist Ma Myat Su Mon didn’t give much thought to digital security.