Facebook takes down 1,000+ Mytel accounts linked to Myanmar military, says JFM

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Justice For Myanmar (JFM) said on 9 January that Facebook has removed more than 1,000 pages, groups and accounts linked to Mytel, a Myanmar military-controlled telecom company, following reports that the network was continuing to operate online in violation of Meta’s 2021 ban on military-owned businesses.

The statement from JFM continues below.

While Mytel was previously removed from Facebook at the time, the company had created new pages that circumvented the ban, and Mytel agent and reseller accounts continued to operate.

Justice For Myanmar reported the pages to Facebook this week, along with the MRTV Friday Night Live Show page, which was also taken down.

Thanks to all those who informed us of these pages.

Telecom International Myanmar, which trades as Mytel, is owned by the military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation, the Vietnamese defence ministry-owned corporation Viettel Global, and a holding company for Myanmar cronies. Mytel provides revenue and technology to the Myanmar military and supports surveillance and censorship.

Mytel’s profit projections suggest that the Myanmar military’s shareholding could yield it US$270 million in Mytel’s fifth to ninth years of operation and a further US$450 million in the five years after that, a major windfall for the military and top generals.

By financing the military and facilitating its digital surveillance, Mytel is aiding and abetting the Myanmar military’s continuing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Justice For Myanmar demands other tech companies ban Mytel, including Alphabet and Apple, which host its apps in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.